Sweat-proof “smart skin” takes reliable vitals

MIT engineers and researchers in South Korea have developed a sweat-proof “electronic skin” — a conformable, sensor-embedded sticky patch that monitors a person’s health without malfunctioning or peeling away, even when a wearer is perspiring.

The patch is patterned with artificial sweat ducts, similar to pores in human skin, that the researchers etched through the material’s ultrathin layers. The pores perforate the patch in a kirigami-like pattern, similar to that of the Japanese paper-cutting art. The design ensures that sweat can escape through the patch, preventing skin irritation and damage to embedded sensors.

The kirigami design also helps the patch conform to human skin as it stretches and bends. This flexibility, paired with the material’s ability to withstand sweat, enables it to monitor a person’s health over long periods of time, which has not been possible with previous “e-skin” designs. The results, published in Science Advances, are a step toward long-lasting smart skins that may track daily vitals or the progression skin cancer and other conditions.

Read more at MIT

Image Credit: Felice Frankel

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