Flexible circuit structure and smart wear configuration having the same

Abstract

In some aspects, a flexible circuit structure is provided that includes a carrier of flexible insulating material, electrically conductive circuitry formed on at least one of a first surface of the carrier and a second surface of the carrier opposite the first surface, and one or more electrodes, and a connection terminal formed on the first surface and electrically coupled to the electrodes via at least some of the electrically conductive circuitry. The flexible circuit substrate further includes a fluid collector system formed on the carrier, where the fluid collector system includes at least one microchannel formed in the second surface. In this context, at least one of the electrically conductive circuitry is formed to extend at least partially within the at least one microchannel. The flexible circuit structure can be used in a wearable configuration, such as a bandage, or as a transducer for a biosensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to flexible circuit structures and smart wearable configurations having such flexible circuit structures, such as smart bandages having such flexible circuit structures. Background Technology

[0002] Various portable or wearable devices with flexible circuits are known for tracking steps, GPS location, heart rate, and various additional biometric parameters to be monitored for health reasons and medical purposes.

[0003] In the medical field, there is particular interest in monitoring the condition of tissues, organs, or systems undergoing treatment, especially if such information is collected in real time during the treatment. Many types of treatments are still routinely performed without the use of sensor data collection; instead, they rely on visual inspection by caregivers or other limited means rather than collected sensor data. For example, in wound treatments involving dressings or negative pressure wound therapy, data collection is often limited to visual inspection by caregivers, and underlying wound tissue may often be obscured by bandages or other visual barriers. Even intact, uninjured skin may have underlying damage that is not visible to the naked eye, such as damaged blood vessels or deep tissue damage that could lead to ulceration. Similar to wound treatment, information collected on underlying tissues is very limited during orthopedic treatments that require limb immobilization with castings or other bandaging materials. In cases of internal tissue repair, such as bone plate repairs, continuous, direct sensor-driven data collection is not performed.

[0004] Furthermore, stents or cannulas used to support musculoskeletal function do not monitor the function of underlying muscles or limb movement. Beyond direct intervention, common hospital room items, such as beds and blankets, can be improved by increasing the ability to monitor patient parameters.

[0005] Smart bandages allow for improved monitoring of the wound healing process by providing better control over wound characteristics. For a specific wound, the applied bandage should be tight to improve blood flow. For example, by monitoring the pressure applied to the bandage and orthosis, caregivers can determine whether a new bandage needs to be provided or avoid changing it when it is not necessary.

[0006] Wearable devices typically need to be shaped to fit the body part on which they will be mounted to avoid discomfort or irritation to that body part. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide a flexible circuit structure and smart wearable configuration for use in which user discomfort is minimized (if not completely avoided) due to the presence of a sensor system, and in which the manufacture of such a sensor system and smart wearable configuration is optimized.

[0007] Adhesive bandages (also known as sticking plasters, medical plasters, or simply plasters in British English) are small medical dressings used for injuries not severe enough to require a full-size bandage. Adhesive bandages protect wounds and scabs from friction, bacteria, damage, and dirt, thus preventing interference with the body's healing process. Some dressings may have antibacterial properties. Additionally, adhesive bandages hold the two cut ends of the skin together at the wound site to facilitate faster healing. Typically, an adhesive bandage is a small, flexible sheet of material with an adhesive side, to which a smaller, non-adhesive absorbent pad adheres. The pad is placed against the wound, and the overlapping edges of the adhesive material are smoothed so that they adhere to the surrounding skin. Adhesive bandages are usually packaged in a sealed, sterile bag, with a backing covering the adhesive side, and the backing is removed when the bandage is applied. They come in various sizes and shapes. The backing and bag are typically made of coated paper, but can be made of plastic, while the adhesive sheet is usually a woven fabric, plastic (PVC, polyethylene, or polyurethane), or a strip of latex. It may or may not be waterproof; if it is airtight, the bandage is a closure dressing. The adhesive is typically acrylate, including methacrylate and epoxy diacrylate (also known as vinyl resin). The absorbent pad is usually made of cotton and sometimes has a thin, porous polymer coating to prevent it from adhering to the wound. The pad may also be treated with antibacterial solutions. In some bandages, the pad is made of absorbent hydrogel. This is especially common in dressings used for blisters, as the gel acts as a liner.

[0008] As another example of wearable configuration in medical applications, elastic bandages are known, referring to "stretchable bandages" used to generate localized pressure. Elastic bandages can be used to treat muscle sprains and strains by applying uniform, stable pressure to reduce blood flow to a specific area (which limits swelling at the site of injury), or to treat fractures. A pad is applied to the fractured limb, followed by a splint (usually a plaster cast). An elastic bandage is then applied to hold the splint in place and protect it. This is a common technique for fractures that may swell, which can cause the cast to function incorrectly. These types of splints are typically removed after the swelling has subsided, and a fiberglass or plaster cast can then be applied.

[0009] Due to the risk of latex allergies among users, the original composition of elastic bandages has changed. While some bandages are still made with latex, many woven and knitted elastic bandages provide sufficient compression without using natural rubber or latex. Modern elastic bandages are made of cotton, polyester, and latex-free elastic yarn. By varying the ratio of cotton, polyester, and elastic yarn within the bandage, manufacturers are able to provide various levels of compression and durability in their wrappings. Typically, once the bandage has been wrapped around the injury, it is secured in place using aluminum or stretchable clips. Some elastic bandages even use Velcro closures to secure and stabilize the wrapping in place.

[0010] Besides its use in sports medicine and by orthopedic surgeons, elastic bandages can be used to manage lymphedema and other venous conditions. However, some compression wraps are insufficient for treating lymphedema or chronic venous insufficiency. They provide high resting compression and low active compression. More appropriate use of compression in managing lymphedema or other edema conditions would be TG-shaped, tension-shaped, compression stockings, or compression wraps for acute conditions or exacerbations. Physical therapists and occupational therapists have specific training and certification to apply appropriate compression wraps to edema and lymphedema. Elastic bandages can also be used as body wraps for weight loss and for the rehabilitation of injured animals in veterinary medicine.

[0011] Chronic nonhealing wounds are one of the leading and rapidly growing clinical complications worldwide. Current treatments often involve emergency surgical interventions, and the overuse and misuse of therapeutic drugs can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Despite the urgent need for more effective, controlled, biocompatible, and easily administered treatments with minimal side effects, conventional wound care devices remain passive and fail to dynamically respond to changes in the wound's physiological microenvironment. Furthermore, existing wound management can be a manual process requiring wound assessment, monitoring of wound physiological characteristics, application of bandages if necessary, and management of wound infection. Moreover, current wound care products do not provide information about the wound, such as the status of the wound bed or the wound's healing rate over time. These steps are typically performed by healthcare providers within medical facilities and usually require patient visits to the facility for general wound care and management.

[0012] However, there are many situations where such treatment is difficult or impossible to accept, such as on the battlefield, in space, in developing or low- and middle-income countries, or during global pandemics. Therefore, a system and approach for dynamically managing wounds outside of medical facilities may be desired, allowing for more continuous and personalized care, monitoring, and treatment.

[0013] It is desirable to provide a flexible circuit structure for smart wearable configurations and a smart wearable configuration including such a flexible circuit structure, the flexible circuit structure having a compact layout and / or improved reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0014] The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by using a flexible circuit structure as defined in independent claim 1 and a method as defined in claim 23. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0015] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a flexible circuit structure is provided.

[0016] In an illustrative embodiment of the first aspect, the flexible circuit structure includes: a carrier of flexible insulating material, preferably a carrier strip; conductive lines and one or more electrodes formed on at least one of a first surface of the carrier and a second surface of the carrier opposite to the first surface; and connection terminals formed on the first surface and electrically connected to the electrodes via at least some of the conductive lines. The flexible circuit structure also includes a fluid collector system formed on the carrier, the fluid collector system including at least one microchannel formed in the second surface. At least one conductive line is formed to extend at least partially within at least one microchannel. The microchannel can provide a path for guiding fluid to one or more dedicated (or corresponding) conductive lines, thereby allowing dedicated sensing functions to be implemented by these conductive lines. For example, the microchannel may be part of or represent a microfluidic system formed on the carrier, the microfluidic system including microchannels for implementing microchannels, reservoirs, valves, and sensors, the microchannel having the function of controlling fluid in a confined space on the carrier when the flexible circuit structure is employed in a fluid sensing application. The microchannel represents an illustrative example of microfluidic technology implemented on a carrier.

[0017] For example, a microfluidic system can be provided on a carrier by laminating a layer (e.g., PET) onto at least a portion of the surface of the carrier and patterning the laminated layers into a line pattern to define a microfluidic system on the surface of the carrier, such that one or more microchannels are defined in or on the surface of the carrier, wherein the microchannels are formed by the laminated layer pattern or laminated line pattern (e.g., PET and adhesive or other combinations of PET on the carrier after lamination / for lamination) on the surface of the carrier. Within at least one microchannel, a transducer for a biosensor can be provided, for example, at least one electrode of the transducer is formed within at least one microchannel. For example, bioreceiving materials, such as membrane materials (e.g., bioreceiving materials on cross-linked electrodes), may be configured on the electrodes by at least partially wiring conductive material within at least one microchannel and forming electrodes at the wiring locations within at least one channel. For example, the electrodes are noble metal electrodes, such as gold electrodes. In some further illustrative examples herein, at least one microchannel may be covered by a covering system at the electrode, such that a cavity for receiving detected biofluid is formed around the electrode at least at the location of the electrode.

[0018] Those skilled in the art will understand that when flexible circuit structures are combined and / or equipped with electrochemical sensor electrodes, easily scalable biosensors can be fabricated with higher throughput, lower cost, and the ability to address more complex and specific technical objectives.

[0019] Alternatively, the flexible circuit structure of the illustrative embodiment of the first aspect includes: a carrier of flexible insulating material, preferably a carrier strip; conductive lines and one or more electrodes formed on at least one of a first surface of the carrier and a second surface of the carrier opposite to the first surface; and connection terminals formed on the first surface and electrically connected to the electrodes via at least some of the conductive lines. The flexible circuit structure also includes: an electrical module having a microchip releasably coupled to the connection terminals; and an LED component disposed on the first surface, the LED component being connected to the two or more connection terminals via conductive lines routed on the first surface between the LED component and the two or more connection terminals. In this document, the two connection terminals in contact with the LED component are not interconnected, such that an open circuit is provided relative to the LED component and the conductive lines routed between the LED component and the two connection terminals, the open circuit being closed by the electrical module coupled to the connection terminals. The LED component indicates the connection status of the electrical module with the conductive lines on the carrier, particularly whether the electrical module is correctly connected to the carrier, because a closed circuit on the carrier between the LED and the electrical module is only established when a correct electrical connection is established between the electrical module and the conductive lines on the carrier, thus indicating a correct connection when the LED signals a connection. The electrical functions of the electrical module do not depend on the functions of the LEDs. In other words, the LEDs act as indicators of correct connections and do not actively participate in the functions of the electrical module, such as wound healing or detection functions provided by the electrical module.

[0020] In some applications of the first aspect, the flexible circuit structure of the first aspect can be configured in a transducer for wearable configurations (such as bandages) or biosensors. According to an illustrative embodiment of the first aspect, the carrier can be a printed circuit board (PCB), or it can be not a PCT but connected to the PCB, wherein optionally, the PCB includes a power source (e.g., a battery) and / or a microchip and / or means for enabling wireless communication with one or more electrodes.

[0021] Therefore, the flexible circuit structure of the first aspect allows for general implementation in a wide range of applications, without being limited to carriers confined to PCB-type structures and / or materials. It is easy and cost-effective to manufacture flexible circuit structures for wearable configurations (such as bandages, e.g., smart bandages), which can be releasably connected to modules, for example, including microelectronic components (such as microprocessor devices for electrical and electronic operation of one or more electrodes) and / or antenna elements (optionally, antenna circuit elements and / or antenna driving elements), which are respectively used and configured to operate one or more antenna elements (which may optionally be formed on the carrier or module for releasable connection to the carrier via connection terminals). Thus, by including terminals capable of releasably connecting the flexible circuit structure to separate electrical and / or electronic components, the flexible circuit structure can be adopted in modular configurations or systems, and the carrier can be designed in a compact manner with greater flexibility (regarding functionality and / or its mechanical characteristics).

[0022] In this document, the carrier may, but is not limited to, be provided as a flat carrier element having two main surfaces (e.g., a first surface and a second surface) configured opposite to each other. This means that the first and second surfaces are larger than any other surface of the carrier, and the dimension perpendicular to the first surface measures the thickness of the carrier, i.e., the dimension extending in the carrier between the first and second surfaces. The two orthogonal dimensions of the first and / or second surfaces may be the width and length of the carrier, the length being greater than the width. The aspect ratio from thickness to width is typically less than 1, for example, less than 0.5, 0.1, 0.01, or 0.001.

[0023] In this document, a bandage can be understood as including a material element used to support a medical device (such as a dressing or splint) or, on itself, to provide support for movement of a part of the body, wherein the carrier may be a material element. When used with a dressing other than a carrier, the dressing may be applied directly to the wound, and the bandage is used to hold the dressing in place. Other bandages may be used without a dressing, such as elastic bandages for reducing swelling or providing support for a sprained ankle. For example, a tight bandage may be used to slow blood flow to the limbs, such as when there is heavy bleeding in the leg or arm, and one or more electrodes are configured to implement at least one pressure sensor element to allow pressure monitoring in the bandage. In some particular but non-limiting examples, the carrier may be an adhesive bandage having an adhesive material or layer at least partially formed on a first surface and / or a second surface, wherein one or more electrodes may be formed only on the first surface or the second surface. In still some other alternatives herein, multiple electrodes may be provided, some of which are formed on the first surface and some of which are formed on the second surface, preferably without an adhesive material or layer formed thereon in one or more surface regions of the second surface.

[0024] For example, when one or more electrodes are formed only on the first surface, the adhesive material or layer may be formed at least partially only on the second surface. Alternatively, when one or more electrodes are formed at least partially on the first surface and at least one of the electrodes formed on the first surface will come into contact with the skin of a user to whom the flexible circuit structure is to be applied, one or more surface areas (preferably without conductive lines and connecting terminals) are provided with an adhesive material or layer formed thereon adjacent to at least one of the electrodes, the carrier is twisted such that one or more surface areas and at least one of the electrodes come into contact with the user's skin, while the terminals are configured in the opposite manner to the one or more surface areas, i.e., not to come into contact with the user's skin.

[0025] In some illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the carrier may include a substrate. For example, the substrate may be made of PET and / or PI and / or VEP and / or FET (fluorinated ethylene propylene) and laminated with a sheet of conductive material. The conductive material sheet may be patterned into a wiring pattern, providing conductive lines, for example by etching, cutting, or stamping. The flexible circuit structure may include at least two electrodes. The at least two electrodes may be configured to perform one of electrochemical measurements and chemielectric resistance measurements. Alternatively, the at least two electrodes may be configured to serve as electrodes in an organic electrochemical transistor system.

[0026] For example, an electrochemical electrode can be an electrode that converts chemical data (e.g., the concentration of a single sample component) into an analytically usable electrical signal (e.g., a Faraday voltage or Faraday current at the electrode terminals). Therefore, flexible substrates including such electrodes can realize or allow the realization of physicochemical transducers for chemical sensors having electrodes that act as acceptors, which are variable and can range from activated or doped surfaces to complex (large)molecules that interact with the analyte with high specificity. Since electrochemical sensors can be characterized according to categories such as current-type, potentiometric, impedance-type, photoelectrochemical, and electrochemiluminescence-type, the electrodes of these sensors, as well as the electronic modules and components on or connected to flexible circuit structures, are implemented. For example, for potentiometric sensors, electrodes are provided that are constructed to allow specific sensor-analyte interactions, where a local Nernst equilibrium is formed at the electrode interface when current flow is not permitted, thus providing information about the analyte concentration. For example, the electrodes of current-type sensors use a voltage placed between a reference electrode and a working electrode to initiate electrochemical oxidation or reduction, and the resulting current is measured as a quantitative indicator of the analyte concentration (via the Cottrell equation). For example, the electrodes of a conductivity sensor (often referred to as an impedance sensor) are configured to measure changes in surface impedance to detect and quantify analyte-specific recognition events on the electrode. Those skilled in the art will understand that the electrodes can be adapted accordingly to achieve electrochemical sensing functionality.

[0027] For example, the electrodes adapted for a chemical resistor can be electrodes comprising materials whose resistance changes in response to changes in the nearby chemical environment. Such chemical resistors allow for a class of chemical sensors that rely on direct chemical interactions between the sensing material and the analyte. For example, the sensing material and the analyte can interact through covalent bonding, hydrogen bonding, or molecular recognition. Because several different materials with chemical resistor properties exist, such as semiconductor metal oxides, some conductive polymers, and nanomaterials like graphene, carbon nanotubes, and nanoparticles, there are various possibilities for providing electrodes for chemical resistor measurements, for example, as selective sensors that can be used in devices such as electronic tongues or electronic noses. For example, electrodes suitable for chemical resistor measurements can comprise sensing materials bridging the gap between two electrodes or coating the electrodes (such as electrodes provided as a set of interdigitated electrodes). Chemical resistor measurements can be performed when measuring the resistance between the electrodes because the sensing material has an inherent resistance that can be modulated by the presence or absence of the analyte. During exposure, the analyte interacts with the sensing material, and these interactions cause changes in the resistance reading. In some applications, a change in resistance can simply indicate the presence of an analyte, while in others, when the change in resistance is related to (e.g., proportional to) the amount of analyte present, the change in resistance can be measured as a value to determine the amount of analyte present, thus allowing for the measurement of the amount of analyte present.

[0028] Regarding organic electrochemical transistors, electrodes can be provided as elements of organic electronic devices that function similarly to transistors, such that the current flowing through the device is controlled by ion exchange between the electrolyte and the channel of the organic electrochemical transistor (wherein the channel is composed of an organic conductor or semiconductor). Therefore, the carrier can include an organic electrochemical transistor having source and drain electrodes, formed by a channel on the carrier. During operation, ion exchange is driven by a voltage applied to the gate electrode of the organic electrochemical transistor, which is in contact with the channel ions through the electrolyte. Ion migration between the channel and the electrolyte is accompanied by electrochemical redox reactions occurring in the channel material, causing the electrochemical redox of the channel and ion migration to alter the channel conductivity in a process known as electrochemical doping. Flexible circuit structures incorporating organic electrochemical transistors are being constructed for applications in biosensors, bioelectronic devices, and large-area, low-cost electronic devices. Such flexible circuit structures can also be used as multi-bit memory devices or in multi-bit memory devices that mimic the synaptic function of the brain, potentially as elements in neuromorphic computing applications.

[0029] In some illustrative examples herein, the conductive material sheet may include at least one of copper, aluminum, silver, gold, precious metals, and platinum group metals (e.g., at least one of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum).

[0030] In some illustrative examples in this paper, the wiring pattern may be formed from a patterned conductive material sheet (such as a copper sheet), wherein the patterned conductive material sheet may be plated with at least one of gold, silver and platinum group metals.

[0031] In some illustrative examples herein, electrodes may be configured on or integrated into a substrate, having at least one electrode surface exposed relative to the substrate, thus serving as at least one exposed electrode surface. The exposed electrode surface may be configured to contact an analyte. For example, at least one exposed electrode surface may be covered by a membrane. This membrane may be configured to allow the analyte to be detected by the electrode (such as at least one of glucose, lactic acid, ketones, and creatinine) to diffuse through the membrane. Therefore, the membrane can filter the analyte and allow only certain components of the analyte to contact the electrode. Alternatively, the substrate may also include a microfluidic system in at least partial fluid communication with a wiring pattern, wherein the microfluidic system includes at least one microchannel formed in or on a carrier. For example, the microfluidic system may include microchannels for realizing microchannels, reservoirs, valves, and sensors, which, when employing flexible circuit structures in fluid detection applications, function to control fluid in confined spaces on the carrier. Therefore, microfluidic technology can be implemented in or on a carrier.

[0032] As described above and in some illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the flexible circuit structure may further include a light-emitting diode (LED) component disposed on a first surface, the LED component being connected to two or more connection terminals via conductive lines routed on the first surface between the LED component and the two or more connection terminals. The two connection terminals in contact with the LED component are not interconnected, such that an open circuit is provided relative to the LED component and the conductive lines routed between the LED component and the two connection terminals. Therefore, once the connection terminals are contacted by a power source to operate the flexible circuit structure during normal operation, the LED component can provide a signal indicating that the flexible circuit structure is in operation or in use. Optionally, the flexible circuit element may have a timer element electrically connected to the connection terminals, which, when the flexible circuit structure is connected to a power source to operate the flexible circuit structure, is either connected between the conductive lines routed between the LED component and at least one of the two connection terminals, or connected between the power source and the connection terminals, to indicate the operation of the flexible circuit structure within a given time interval, defined by the timer element switching from an initially non-conductive state to a conductive state after an elapsed time equal to or greater than the given time interval. Therefore, the flexible circuit structure may be equipped with a timing function that is used only once or multiple times within a given time interval. Additionally or alternatively, the LED component may be a single LED element, or the LED component may include two or more LED elements, such as, but not limited to, three LED elements of red, blue, and green (or other LED elements emitting peaks at different wavelengths), or at least four LED elements, such as four LED elements of red, blue, green, and white (or other LED elements emitting peaks at different wavelengths). Thus, the LED component can provide signals with different colors to indicate different operating states and / or functions.

[0033] In some illustrative examples herein, the LED component may be configured adjacent to the connection terminal in the first surface. For example, the conductive traces routed to the LED component may be less than the maximum length of the conductive traces that connect the connection terminal to one or more electrodes. In this way, the LED component may be located closer to the connection terminal than the electrode furthest from the connection terminal.

[0034] In some illustrative examples herein, the carrier may have a through-hole extending through the carrier along its thickness, and an LED component may be configured to align with the through-hole such that the LED component can emit light through the through-hole toward a second surface of the carrier during operation. For example, in the case where the LED component has at least two LED elements, one LED element (or a first subset of multiple LED elements) may be configured and constructed to emit radiation away from the carrier without passing through the through-hole, while another LED element (or a second subset of multiple LED elements) may be configured and constructed to emit light through the through-hole. Thus, the LED component can have a dual function, one function being signaling and another function being providing phototherapy through the carrier via the through-hole. For example, phototherapy may involve the radiation of light having one or more specific colors in the infrared and / or ultraviolet and / or visible light ranges, while the LED component emits light substantially at least in the visible light range relative to the signaling function. However, in the case of the signaling function, light emitted outside the visible range can also be used in conjunction with a suitable detector.

[0035] In some illustrative examples herein, the LED component may be configured on a carrier portion connected via a carrier strip portion to a remaining carrier body on which connection terminals are disposed. The carrier strip portion represents a strip-shaped carrier material portion integrally formed and preferably linearly extending between the carrier portion and the remaining carrier body. The width dimension of the carrier strip portion is smaller than the width dimension of the carrier portion, and this width dimension is orthogonal to the length dimension along which the conductive lines wiring between the LED component and the connection terminals extend substantially along the carrier strip portion. Therefore, the carrier strip portion allows the carrier to be twisted at the carrier strip portion, such that the carrier portion and the remaining carrier portion can be configured with different orientations relative to each other. For example, at least a surface portion of the carrier body may be flipped such that the orientation of the surface normal vector of the second surface of the carrier body has the same orientation as the surface normal vector of the first surface of the carrier portion.

[0036] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the flexible insulating material may include at least one of polyetherimide (PEI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyimide (PI), glass-epoxy composites, and cellulose materials. Therefore, the carrier can be provided in a very compatible manner with a wide variety of applications, without being limited by the PCB material. For example, the carrier may be formed from a portion of substrate material representing a flexible substrate, which is composed of flexible materials such as polymeric materials, including but not limited to any one or a combination of polyethylene terephthalate film (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyimide foil (PI), polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), or a variety of polymeric films. However, this does not impose any limitations, and in alternative examples, the carrier may include one or more rigid portions and includes one or more of glass, wood, metal, PVC, silicone, epoxy, polycarbonate, or a variety of rigid materials. In yet another example, the carrier may include a combination of one or more flexible materials described herein and one or more rigid materials described herein.

[0037] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the flexible circuit structure may further include an adhesive layer formed on one surface of the carrier. In some particularly illustrative but non-limiting examples herein, conductive lines may be formed only on the first surface of the carrier, and the adhesive layer may be formed at least partially on the second surface. Alternatively, some of the conductive lines may be formed on the first surface of the carrier (and optionally, some of the conductive lines may also be formed on the second surface), and the adhesive layer may be partially formed on the first surface in a surface region that does not contain conductive lines and connection terminals, for example, adjacent to at least one of one or more electrodes. Thus, the flexible structure can be used in applications involving adhesive wearable configurations (e.g., adhesive bandages).

[0038] In some specific illustrative examples herein, conductive lines may include conductive materials, such as metallic materials or materials containing metallic particles, such as, but not limited to, silver, platinum, palladium, copper, nickel, gold, or aluminum, or carbon, or conductive polymers, or some combination thereof. In some aspects, conductive lines (not shown) may include metallic particles and one or more chemical additives (e.g., solvents, binders, etc.) that improve one or more characteristics of the conductive lines (e.g., flexibility, stretchability, solderability, etc.). Conductive metals or composite materials may be formed on at least one of a first surface and a second surface as sheets, fine particles, or nanoparticles, or combinations thereof.

[0039] In some particularly illustrative but non-limiting examples herein, the flexible circuit structure may also include an adhesive layer formed on a second surface of the carrier, wherein at least one of one or more electrodes is disposed on the second surface, preferably in a surface region of the second surface free of any adhesive material or layer. At least one electrode on the second side may be connected to conductive lines wired on the first surface via vertical interconnects extending between the first and second surfaces in the carrier.

[0040] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the conductive lines may be formed of a conductive material including at least one of silver, copper, and gold. The respective materials can be deposited by physical vapor deposition or printing of conductive ink. The conductive lines can be patterned by photolithography and etching techniques or by patterned printing of conductive ink. Therefore, flexible circuit structures can be provided cost-effectively and with high reproducibility.

[0041] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the carrier may be configured on a base material including at least one of silicone, acrylate, hydrocolloid, synthetic rubber, and medical tape to provide a wearable configuration, such as a bandage, preferably a gauze bandage, such as an adhesive bandage or an elastic bandage. Thus, a wearable configuration can be readily provided. In some illustrative examples herein, a smart bandage may be provided, optionally including wireless circuitry that uses one or more sensors configured to monitor wound healing progress, such as impedance sensors and / or temperature sensors. If wound healing is slow or infection is detected, the sensors (provided by one or more electrodes of the flexible circuitry of the smart bandage, configured as one or more dedicated sensors via electrodes electrically coupled to a dedicated sensor controller configured to control the electrodes, process the signals from the electrodes, and optionally record the processed signals and / or transmit the signals or processed signals to a remote or integrated supervisory control unit in the smart bandage) can be further configured as a notification module (e.g., a module including a central processing unit (CPU)) to apply more electrical stimulation to the wound bed to accelerate tissue closure and reduce infection via one or more stimulation electrodes configured on the carrier of the smart bandage. Alternatively, one or more electrodes can be provided, the one or more signals being configured to detect and measure signals, and the releasable module includes at least one CPU configured to communicate with and process the one or more signals emitted by the one or more electrodes to obtain sensor signals. Additionally, the smart bandage can be configured to track sensor data in real time on a smartphone (either directly via wireless communication circuitry integrated into the smart bandage or indirectly via wireless communication circuitry provided by a suitable module releasably connected to the smart bandage).

[0042] According to some illustrative embodiments herein, flexible circuit structures can be constructed for use in smart wearable configurations (e.g., smart bandages) to monitor and manage wounds and / or monitor parameters of the person wearing / using the smart wearable configuration, such as temperature and / or blood oxygen levels and / or the presence of fluids (e.g., sweat). In some illustrative examples herein, the smart wearable configuration can be a fully integrated wearable bioelectronic system that wirelessly and continuously monitors the physiological condition of a person (e.g., a wound bed) via one or more electrodes of the smart wearable configuration (such as a custom-developed multiplexed multimode electrochemical biosensor array in the wound monitoring example).

[0043] In some specific, but non-limiting examples, a smart bandage may be provided that also performs a non-invasive combination therapy through controlled anti-inflammatory / antimicrobial treatment and electrostimulation of tissue regeneration. In some more illustrative examples herein, the smart bandage may be a wearable patch that is biocompatible, mechanically flexible, stretchable, and conformally adheres to the skin / wound throughout or partially during the wound healing process. Various implementations may include systems for real-time metabolic and inflammation monitoring, allowing for greater accuracy and electrochemical stability of the smart bandage for multiplexed spatial and temporal wound biomarker analysis. The combination of electromodulated antimicrobial agent delivery and electrostimulation in a wearable smart bandage can accelerate the healing of chronic skin wounds, as well as the patient's overall wound healing.

[0044] In some specific, but non-limiting, examples herein, a smart bandage may include a carrier implemented as a wearable flexible multilayer substrate having multiplexed sensors implemented via multiplexed electrodes disposed thereon, which can monitor the physiological microenvironment of a wound and identify wound characteristics. Wound characteristics may be monitored via biosensors configured to detect metabolites, amino acids, bacteria, vitamins, minerals, hormones, antibodies, pH, UA levels, ammonia levels, lactate levels, CRP levels, glucose levels, and other biomarkers. The smart bandage may include an antimicrobial reservoir or hydrogel within the flexible multilayer substrate. The antimicrobial reservoir or hydrogel may be connected to an outlet also disposed on the smart bandage and adjacent to the patient's skin, such that antimicrobial agents and medications can be released from the antimicrobial reservoir or hydrogel and dispensed from the outlet onto the patient's skin or into the patient's wound.

[0045] In some illustrative examples of smart wearable configurations for electrostimulation, the smart wearable configuration includes a flexible circuit structure having one or more electrodes configured as electrostimulation electrodes. The smart wearable configuration also includes an electrostimulation module releasably connected to a carrier of the flexible circuit structure, allowing the electrostimulation electrodes to provide electrical stimulation to a person. For example, the person may be a patient, in which case the smart wearable configuration may be a smart bandage for aiding wound healing and tissue regeneration. In other examples, the person may be someone who desires to strengthen and firm muscles through electrostimulation. In specific examples herein, the electrostimulation module may include a control submodule configured to control the power supply to the electrostimulation electrodes. Additionally, the electrostimulation module may include another control submodule configured to acquire signals representing wound characteristics from additional sensors and to perform bioanalysis of the wound or wirelessly transmit signals to the user, which may occur discretely or continuously. The control module may also receive signals from the user for wound treatment or autonomously and dynamically apply wound treatment based on programmed threshold parameters for a specific treatment referencing certain wound characteristics. In this document, the smart bandage may further include a wireless communication module that connects the smart bandage device to another wireless device, such as a mobile phone, computer, tablet, or medical station. The control module on the smart bandage may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions to receive and process signals representing wound characteristics from sensors, transmit the received signals to another wireless device via the wireless communication module, receive signals from the wireless device, transmit the signals to an antimicrobial reservoir / hydrogel / outlet and an electrical stimulation module, and, in some embodiments, autonomously process sensor signals to determine if they exceed thresholds and autonomously initiate treatment. Advantageously, this smart wearable configuration enables wearable sensors integrated with telemedicine, thereby allowing for safe and effective monitoring of individual health, which will allow for timely intervention in infections and treatment of wounds and other medical conditions.

[0046] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the conductive lines may include at least two conductive lines electrically connecting at least two of the connection terminals to a sensor element (preferably an oxygen sensor element), the conductive lines being routed in a curved wiring pattern between the two terminals and the oxygen sensor element. The curved wiring pattern may have at least one wiring portion that is at least partially wavy or sinusoidal in shape. For example, the wiring conductive line adjacent to the oxygen sensor element may be a curved wiring pattern. The curved wiring pattern may comprise 10% to 50% of the conductive line routed between the connection terminals and the oxygen sensor element. The curved wiring pattern can provide improved flexibility at the oxygen sensor element, thereby allowing the oxygen sensor element to be positioned at body parts subjected to bending movements (such as fingers, toes, hands, feet, etc.). That is, the conductive lines may include at least two conductive lines electrically connecting at least two of the connection terminals to a sensor element (preferably an oxygen sensor element), the conductive lines being routed in a curved wiring pattern between the two terminals and the oxygen sensor element, the curved wiring pattern having at least one wiring portion that is at least partially wavy or sinusoidal in shape.

[0047] In some illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the LED component and the oxygen sensor element may be disposed on the first surface. Therefore, proper connection between the module associated with the operation of the oxygen sensor element and the connection terminals can be ensured by the LED component, and / or the LED component can be used to indicate the operation of the oxygen sensor element, for example by a specified colored light or simply by an LED in an on state, and / or to indicate a warning signal if the measurement signal of the oxygen sensor element exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0048] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, one or more electrodes may include at least one stimulating electrode configured on a carrier in a substantially helical wiring configuration. Therefore, a sufficiently large stimulation region can be provided.

[0049] In some illustrative examples herein, at least one stimulating electrode may be disposed on the second surface, and the at least one stimulating electrode is connected to conductive lines via a through-hole connector extending through the carrier between the first and second surfaces. Thus, the connection terminals can easily contact a dedicated module, while the stimulating electrode can reliably contact the user's skin.

[0050] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the flexible circuit structure may further include a microheating structure disposed on at least one of the first and second surfaces, wherein the microheating structure is configured to heat the microheating structure to a temperature in the range of about 36°C to about 90°C. Therefore, heat treatment can be provided in an easy manner.

[0051] In some illustrative examples herein, the microheating structure may be arranged on a carrier to at least partially surround at least one stimulating electrode on the carrier. In some specific examples herein, the microheating structure may be formed of a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material or a carbon conductive material. Additionally or alternatively, the microheating structure may be configured to be in thermal contact with a material layer having a relatively high thermal conductivity, more preferably at least 1 W / (m K), such as greater than 2 W / (m K), greater than 5 W / (m K), greater than 10 W / (m K), greater than 20 W / (m K), or greater than 50 W / (m K). Therefore, uniform heating and / or thermal diffusion can be achieved.

[0052] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the flexible circuit structure may further include at least one pH sensor and / or at least one exudate sensor disposed on a carrier. Therefore, the flexible circuit structure can be applied to a wide range of applications.

[0053] In some illustrative examples herein, at least one pH sensor and / or at least one exudate sensor may be configured relative to at least one stimulating electrode such that at least one pH sensor is disposed within an area covered by at least one stimulating electrode. Additionally or alternatively, at least one exudate sensor may be disposed around the periphery of at least one stimulating electrode. Thus, spatially resolved monitoring of the wound can be achieved.

[0054] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, a subset of conductive lines is routed on a first surface to form at least one antenna loop portion operable in a frequency range from about 1 kHz to about 10 GHz. Thus, wireless communication with a flexible circuit structure can be provided.

[0055] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the flexible circuit structure may further include an electrical module having a microchip, the electrical module being releasably coupled to connection terminals. Therefore, different functions and operations can be performed on the flexible circuit structure.

[0056] In some of the illustrative examples in this paper, the electrical module may also include a power supply for powering the flexible circuit structure, which is constructed as an active circuit structure. Therefore, the flexible circuit structure can be self-powered.

[0057] In some of the illustrative examples in this paper, flexible circuit structures can be constructed as passive circuit structures. Therefore, flexible circuit structures can be energy-efficient and operate on demand via remote control and / or allow for remote monitoring.

[0058] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the flexible circuit structure may further include a fluid collector system formed on a carrier (such as a second surface). For example, the fluid collector system may include at least one microchannel formed in the second surface. The at least one microchannel may be arranged in a semi-circular, circular, elliptical, spiral, or sigma pattern. At least one conductive line of the conductive lines may be formed to extend at least partially within the at least one microchannel.

[0059] In some illustrative examples presented herein, the fluid collector system may be coupled to a pH sensor and / or a sweat sensor and / or a Na+ sensor. For instance, such flexible circuitry structures, constructed or provided for realizing flexible wearable sweat sensors, allow for continuous, real-time, non-invasive detection of sweat analytes, providing insights into human physiology at the molecular level, and their promising applications in personalized health monitoring have likely garnered significant attention. In this paper, electrochemical sensors may be a favorable choice for wearable sweat sensors due to their high performance, low cost, miniaturization, and broad applicability. For example, such flexible circuitry structures can realize wearable sweat sensors that monitor sweating rate and sweat electrolyte concentration. The corresponding sensor devices can be effective tools for determining appropriate rehydration, for example, by continuously monitoring localized sweating rate and sweat electrolyte concentration.

[0060] In the illustrative examples herein, the flexible circuit structure includes a carrier having short microfluidic paths implemented by one or more microchannels configured to guide sweat appearing on a user's skin into small spaces within the carrier surface, preferably at the ends of each microchannel to form quantifiable droplets. The rate of sweating can be assessed from the time of droplet appearance and droplet volume; alternatively, another integrated electrical sensor can be configured to detect the sodium chloride concentration in each sweat droplet.

[0061] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the carrier may have a cut pattern disposed on a first surface. The cut pattern may define at least one line that does not extend across a conductive line, and the cut pattern is configured such that when the carrier is cut along the at least one line, two carrier material portions separated by the at least one line are displaceable relative to each other. Thus, the carrier can initially be provided in a compact shape, while the cut pattern allows for the expansion of the flexible circuit structure to accommodate the size of the flexible circuit pattern for users of various sizes.

[0062] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the connecting terminals may be disposed at the geometric center of the first surface. Additionally or alternatively, the connecting terminals may be configured in a pattern having one or more substantially parallel terminal lines. Thus, a compact design of the carrier can be provided.

[0063] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a method for manufacturing a flexible circuit structure is provided. In an illustrative embodiment herein, the method includes: providing a carrier of a flexible insulating material, preferably a carrier strip; forming conductive lines and one or more electrodes on at least one of a first surface of the carrier and a second surface of the carrier opposite to the first surface; and forming connection terminals on the first surface and electrically connecting them to the one or more electrodes via at least some of the conductive lines.

[0064] In some examples of the second aspect, flexible circuit structures, such as those in the first aspect, can be integrated into bandages such as patches.

[0065] In some illustrative embodiments of the second aspect, the method may further include providing a dicing pattern, wherein the dicing lines of the dicing pattern extend partially between some of the conductive lines in the conductive lines. In some illustrative examples herein, the method may also include cutting the pattern of the dicing lines. Furthermore, in some more advantageous examples herein, the method may also include separating the flexible substrate structure along the pattern of the dicing lines, such that the carrier portion separated by the dicing lines is spaced apart from the carrier-free portion extending therebetween.

[0066] In some illustrative embodiments of the second aspect, the flexible substrate of the first aspect is formed.

[0067] In some illustrative embodiments of the first and second aspects described above, a flexible circuit structure including conductive lines formed by a complex pattern of conductive lines on a carrier can be provided. For example, conductive lines can be selectively printed or otherwise deposited to form circuit lines by any of a variety of printing or additive deposition methods, including, for example, any form of gravure printing, lithography, flexographic printing, photolithography, screen printing, rotary screen printing, digital printing, inkjet printing, aerosol jet printing, 3D printing, and similar printing methods or combinations thereof. In some examples, the conductive material used to form the conductive lines can be in the form of printable conductive ink, toner, or other coatings. Electronic ink can include non-conductive particles or microparticles that are included to mechanically pierce or penetrate native oxides formed on a metal surface, thereby creating a low-resistance electrical contact between the metal surface and the electronic ink. In some such examples, the non-conductive particles can have surfaces including features for piercing the oxide metal surface. In other examples, the conductive particles can have surfaces including features for piercing the oxide metal surface. In some examples, the ink includes solvents and / or binders to help remove or penetrate the native oxide layer to expose the non-oxidized aluminum surface. In some specific illustrative but non-limiting examples, the silver ink can be thermally cured, such that electrical testing after the curing process is complete provides mechanical strength and low resistance between the silver ink and the metal surface. In some other specific illustrative but non-limiting examples, a manufacturing process can be provided that involves printing silver ink directly onto an oxide metal surface to form mechanically strong and low-resistance interconnects to form a circuit.

[0068] In a third aspect, a bandage, such as a patch, is provided that includes the flexible circuit structure according to the first aspect. Alternatively, a transducer for a biosensor may be provided that includes the flexible circuit structure of the first aspect.

[0069] Although various illustrative embodiments have been described above with respect to the first to third aspects, this does not impose any limitations, and one or more illustrative embodiments of one of the first to third aspects may be combined with or implemented therein with at least one of the other aspects of the first to third aspects.

[0070] Other features and aspects of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate features according to various embodiments by way of example. The summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the appended claims. Attached Figure Description

[0071] Various illustrative embodiments and other advantages of the aspects of this disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description of the accompanying drawings presented below.

[0072] Figure 1 A schematic top view of a flexible antenna structure according to some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0073] Figure 1 a schematic diagram showing along Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of line 1a-1a in the diagram.

[0074] Figure 2 A schematic top view of a flexible antenna structure according to some other illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0075] Figure 3 The illustration shows the basis Figure 2 The smart wearable configuration shown is based on a flexible antenna structure.

[0076] Figure 4 schematically shown Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the oxygen sensor configured in the smart wearable device.

[0077] Figures 5a and 5b schematically illustrate flexible antenna structures according to some other illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure in bottom and top views.

[0078] Figure 6 A schematic top view of a flexible antenna structure according to some other illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0079] Figure 6 a schematic diagram showing along Figure 6 The cross-sectional view of line 6a-6a in the diagram.

[0080] Figure 6 b schematically shows along Figure 6 The cross-sectional view of line 6b-6b in the diagram.

[0081] Figure 7 A schematic top view of a flexible antenna structure according to some other illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0082] Figure 8 A schematic top view of a flexible antenna structure according to some other illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0083] Figure 9a and Figure 9b The smart wearable configuration according to some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically shown in bottom and top views.

[0084] Figure 10 It shows according to Figure 9b A schematic top view of an enlarged portion of the flexible antenna structure of some illustrative embodiments of smart wearable configurations.

[0085] Figure 11 A schematic cross-sectional view of a flexible antenna structure according to some other illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0086] Figure 12 The steps of an exemplary process according to some illustrative embodiments of this disclosure are shown schematically.

[0087] Figure 13 Additional process steps according to some illustrative embodiments of this disclosure are shown schematically.

[0088] The accompanying drawings are provided only to illustrate some concepts and aspects of this disclosure and do not show all possible details of certain embodiments, and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Detailed Implementation

[0089] The illustrative embodiments described below relate to flexible circuit structures and smart wearable configurations in various aspects of this disclosure. Although the following embodiments are described in relation to a smart bandage having a flexible circuit structure as an illustrative embodiment of a smart wearable configuration, this does not impose any limitations, and other types of smart wearable configurations can be considered in different application areas.

[0090] In medical applications, smart wearable devices can be used as smart bandages, for example, in the healing of chronic wounds. Chronic wound healing can generally be understood as a complex biological process comprising four integrated and overlapping phases: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. At each stage of the healing process, the chemical composition of the wound exudate can change, indicating the stage of healing and even the presence of infection. For example, elevated temperature can be associated with bacterial infection; acidity (pH) can indicate a healing status with balanced protease activity and effective ECM remodeling; elevated uric acid (UA) can indicate wound severity with excessive reactive oxygen species and inflammation; lactate and ammonium can be biomarkers for diagnosing soft tissue infection in diabetic foot ulcers; and wound exudate glucose can correlate with blood glucose and bacterial activity, providing therapeutic guidance for clinical management of diabetic wounds. Therefore, a better understanding of wound characteristics or environment through in-situ biomarker analysis via, for example, smart bandages can reduce hospital stays, prevent amputations, aid in treatment research, and improve other personalized management approaches.

[0091] Furthermore, elevated temperature over time may be associated with inflammation. Elevated UA levels post-infection may be due to upregulation of xanthine oxidase, a component of the innate immune system that responds to inflammatory cytokines in chronic ulcers and may play a role in purine metabolism to produce UA. For example, pH, lactate, and ammonium can all be acid-related, and their elevations during bacterial infection can be monitored. Additionally, glucose levels in infected wound fluid may decrease by more than approximately 35% post-infection due to increased glucose consumption by bacterial activity. Smart bandages can monitor levels associated with decreased temperature, pH, lactate, UA, and ammonium, as well as elevated glucose levels during infection, to indicate that treatment has improved the infection status in the wound. These levels can also be monitored to determine whether digestion has occurred or not in diabetic patients, as biomarkers can also change during the digestive process.

[0092] Advances in digital health and flexible electronics have transformed routine medical practice into remote home healthcare (i.e., telemedicine). Wearable biosensors, such as smart bandages, allow for real-time and / or continuous monitoring of physical vital signs and physiological biomarkers in various biofluids, such as sweat, saliva, and interstitial fluid. Typically, wound dressings provide a moist wound environment, offer protection against secondary infection, remove wound exudate, and promote regeneration. However, chronic wounds require dressings with greater flexibility, breathability, and biocompatibility to protect the wound bed from bacterial infiltration and infection and to modulate wound exudate levels. Furthermore, chronic wounds provide a more complex wound exudate matrix that can influence the performance of biosensors. Therefore, personalized chronic wound treatment may require close monitoring of key wound healing biomarkers in wound exudate, exceeding the scope that can be discretely monitored during a single patient visit.

[0093] To address these challenges, a fully integrated wireless wearable bioelectronic system has been developed as a smart bandage. This system more effectively monitors the physiological status of the wound bed through multiplexing and multimodal wound biomarker analysis, and enables combined therapy, namely, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial treatment through on-demand electrically responsive controlled drug or antimicrobial agent delivery and exogenous electrical stimulation for tissue regeneration. The smart bandage can be a mechanically flexible, stretchable wearable patch that conformally adheres to the skin / wound during part or all of the wound healing process. The smart bandage can improve comfort levels when worn by the patient and reduce skin irritation at the placement site. The smart bandage may include various biosensors that monitor a variety of wound biomarkers / characteristics, including temperature, pH, ammonium, glucose, lactate, UA, and other biomarkers indicating wound parameters. In various embodiments, the smart bandage can monitor wound biomarkers or characteristics via wound exudate in real time or on discrete occasions. The smart bandage can monitor these biomarkers or characteristics in situ using a custom-modified electrochemical biosensor array. Multiplexed biomarker / wound property information collected by smart bandages via biosensors can reveal spatial and temporal changes in the wound microenvironment and the inflammatory status of the wound at different healing stages.

[0094] In addition to multiplexed biosensors, smart bandages can also be equipped with on-demand electroresponsive drug release and antimicrobial agent delivery systems loaded with antimicrobial and / or anti-inflammatory peptides. The delivery system can release drugs or antimicrobial agents under an applied positive voltage, allowing the electroactive hydrogel to release bifunctional peptides or other drugs when a positive voltage is applied. This can increase the elimination of bacteria (or other pathogens) and modulate the inflammatory response in the wound bed during various stages of healing. In various embodiments, the on-demand delivery system can be modified with different electroactive hydrogels to deliver other drugs, including positively and negatively charged drugs and biomolecules such as proteins, peptides, and growth factors. Similarly, the integration of an electrostimulation therapy module can promote cell motility and proliferation, as well as ECM deposition and remodeling during wound regeneration, leading to increased skin wound healing.

[0095] Generally speaking, the combination of electromodulated antimicrobial agent delivery and electrical stimulation on smart bandages can accelerate the recovery and / or closure of chronic wounds, such that one or more embodiments described below can address at least one of these aspects.

[0096] about Figure 1This describes a flexible circuit structure 1 according to some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure. The flexible circuit structure 1 includes a carrier 2 of flexible insulating material, conductive lines 4 and electrodes 6 formed on a first surface of the carrier 2, and connection terminals 5 formed on the first surface of the carrier 2, the connection terminals being electrically connected to the electrodes 6 via the conductive lines 4.

[0097] Carrier 2 can be configured as a carrier strip, that is, essentially a strip shape, where a strip shape indicates a shape having length and width dimensions as two orthogonal dimensions, the length dimension (or simply "length") being equal to or greater than the width dimension (or simply "width"), such that length ≥ width, and may have one or more rounded corners and / or curves or edges. In some specific but non-limiting examples herein, the maximum width of carrier 2 may be less than the maximum or minimum length of carrier 2.

[0098] The conductive line 4 includes a plurality of conductive traces 4a, 4b, and 4c, thus representing a plurality of conductive traces. Each of the conductive traces 4a to 4c may extend between a corresponding terminal in the connecting terminal 5 and a corresponding terminal in the electrode 6. For example, conductive trace 4a may extend between a corresponding terminal in the connecting terminal 5 and electrodes 6a and 6b in the electrode 6, while conductive trace 4b may extend between a corresponding terminal in the connecting terminal 5 and electrodes 6c and 6d. For example, illustrative connecting terminal 5a may be electrically connected to electrode 6d via conductive trace 4b extending therebetween.

[0099] Continue to refer to Figure 1 The flexible circuit structure 1 may further include an LED component 8 disposed on a first surface of the carrier 2. The LED component 8 may be connected to the two connection terminals in the connection terminal 5 via conductive traces 4c wired on the first surface between the LED component 8 and the two connection terminals in the connection terminal 5.

[0100] In some illustrative embodiments of the flexible circuit structure 1, the LED component 8 may be a single LED element, or the LED component 8 may include two or more LED elements, such as, but not limited to, three LED elements of red, blue, and green (or other LED elements emitting peaks at different wavelengths), or at least four LED elements, such as four LED elements of red, blue, green, and white (or other LED elements emitting peaks at different wavelengths). However, this is merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that the LED component 8 may include any desired number of LED elements, such as two LED elements or five or more LED elements.

[0101] The LED component 8 can be connected to an appropriate number of connection terminals in the connection terminals 5, depending on the number of LED elements included in the LED component 8. For example, "n" LED elements included in the LED component 8 (n is a natural number, i.e., n≥1) can be connected to (n+1) connection terminals in the connection terminals 5 via a corresponding number of conductive traces 4b. In this case, when controlling the intensity of the light emitted by each LED element included in the LED component 8, each of the individual LED elements in the LED component 8 can be controlled independently, and light of different colors can be emitted by the LED component 8, even allowing the LED component 8 to continuously or intermittently emit signals that change color during its operation. In the case where monochromatic light will be emitted by the LED component 8 having multiple LED elements, it may be sufficient to connect the LED component 8 to only two connection terminals in the connection terminals 8 via two conductive traces 4b.

[0102] exist Figure 1 In some illustrative embodiments of the flexible circuit structure 1 shown, component 8 may be configured adjacent to connection terminal 5 in the first surface of carrier 2, and conductive trace 4b wiring to LED component may be less than the maximum length of conductive wiring connecting connection terminal to electrode 6a or 6d.

[0103] Still referencing Figure 1 The LED component 8 can be disposed on a carrier portion that is connected to the remaining carrier body of the carrier 2, on which the connection terminal 5 is disposed, via a carrier strip portion. This carrier strip portion refers to a strip-shaped carrier material portion integrally formed and extending between the carrier portion of the carrier 2 and the remaining carrier body. For example, as... Figure 1 The carrier strip shown can extend linearly between the carrier portion on which the LED component 8 is disposed and the remaining carrier body on which the connecting terminal 5 is disposed. According to some illustrative but non-limiting examples, the carrier portion on which the LED component 8 is formed can be formed in a circular or elliptical shape, or it can be formed in a polygonal shape.

[0104] Continue to refer to Figure 1 Electrodes 6a to 6d can be disposed on the remaining carrier body, or similar to LED component 8, can be connected to the remaining carrier body via an integrally formed and possibly linearly extended strip carrier material portion.

[0105] In some illustrative but non-limiting examples herein, one or more electrodes (e.g., electrodes 6a and 6b) may be configured to make direct contact with a user's skin, and thus may be coupled to the remaining carrier body of carrier 2 via strip-shaped carrier material portions with a width smaller than that of electrodes 6a and 6d, thereby allowing twisting of electrodes 6a and 6d. For example, the carrier portions supporting electrodes 6a and 6d of carrier 2 may be twisted, e.g., electrodes 6a and 6d may be flipped to face the user's skin during operation of the flexible circuit structure 1 (i.e., the arrangement of the flexible circuit structure on the user during operation, e.g., when employed in a smart wearable configuration).

[0106] Therefore, the easy fabrication of the flexible circuit structure 1 becomes possible under the condition that any of the conductive lines 4, electrodes 6, connecting terminals 5, and LED components 8 can be formed on the same main surface of the carrier 2. However, this does not impose any limitation on this disclosure, and by further providing vertical interconnects (not shown) extending in the carrier 2 between two opposite main surfaces of the carrier 2, at least one of the electrodes 6a to 6d can be configured on opposite main surfaces of the carrier 2 (i.e., with). Figure 1 The main surface shown in the top view is opposite to the main surface.

[0107] refer to Figure 1 Figure a schematic cross-sectional view of carrier 2 at line 1a-1a shows a conductive trace 4c disposed on carrier 2, and an LED component 8 disposed on and in electrical contact with the conductive trace 4c. The LED component 8 can be aligned with a mask pattern 9 disposed on carrier 2, which covers the conductive trace 4c, exposing a portion of the conductive trace 4c for positioning the LED component 8 at a corresponding position on carrier 2.

[0108] like Figure 1 As shown in Figure a, the carrier 2 may have through-holes formed therein, the through-holes extending completely through the carrier 2 along their thickness direction (i.e., orthogonal to the main surface of the carrier 2) to expose the LED component 8 toward the opposite main surface of the carrier 2, thereby allowing the LED component to emit light in two opposite directions away from the carrier 2. Therefore, the LED component 8, which may have multiple LED elements, can have one or more LED elements for emitting light along... Figure 1 The vertically upward orientation of the diagram in figure a is away from LED component 8 to emit light to send a signal. It may also include at least one other LED element configured to emit light, for example, in the infrared or ultraviolet spectrum, for use by transmitting light along... Figure 1The vertically downward orientation of light in figure a applies optical treatment by emitting light through the through-hole in carrier 2. However, this does not impose any limitation on this disclosure, and those skilled in the art will recognize other alternatives as described in the first aspect of the foregoing description.

[0109] although Figure 1 a clearly shows a through-hole extending fully through the carrier 2 aligned with the configuration of the conductive trace 4c wired below the LED component 8, but this does not impose any limitations, and the carrier 2 may not have any through-holes formed therein, i.e., the material of the carrier 2 may be continuous below the LED component 8.

[0110] Regarding electrodes 6a to 6d, these electrodes can perform electrical stimulation functions, or they can be configured to have sensor functions when connected to a suitable sensor device.

[0111] about Figure 1 The connecting terminal 5 can be implemented as a connector recess or hole disposed in the carrier 2, which can be configured to mate with a connector pin (not shown) of an electrical and / or electronic device (such as an electronic module or a power supply combined with or separate from the electronic module). In this document, the conductive trace 4c represents an open circuit that closes when the connecting terminal contacts the appropriate contact (not shown) of the electrical and / or electronic device (e.g., a module) (not shown) to which the connecting terminal 5 is to be contacted. Therefore, when the circuit provided by the conductive trace 4c and the connecting terminal to which it is connected is closed, the LED component 8 can be electrically powered, thereby indicating the correct connection of the flexible circuit structure to the electrical and / or electronic device to be connected to the flexible circuit structure 1. Additionally, the LED component 8 can be electrically connected to the appropriate controller (not shown) of the electrical and / or electronic device to be connected to the flexible circuit structure 1, so that signaling and / or disposal functions can be provided by the LED component 1, as described with respect to the first aspect of the above description.

[0112] The carrier 2 may be made of a flexible insulating material, as described above with respect to the first aspect.

[0113] Conductive traces can be formed according to the present disclosure as presented above with respect to the first and second aspects of the present disclosure.

[0114] refer to Figure 2 The diagram schematically shows a top view of a flexible circuit structure according to some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2The top view shows a flexible circuit structure 10, which includes a carrier 10a of flexible insulating material, conductive lines formed on one surface of the carrier 10a, a connection terminal 15 having a plurality of connection terminals indicated by an illustrative connection terminal 15a, and a landing area 11 of the carrier configured to receive an electrical and / or electronic device (not shown) to be electrically connected to the flexible circuit structure via the connection terminal 15. The landing area 11 may be provided with attachment means configured to releasably accommodate the electrical and / or electronic device (not shown) when it is connected to the flexible circuit structure 10 via the landing area 11. However, this does not impose any limitation on this disclosure, and the landing area 11, together with the connection terminal 15, enables the one-time and permanent attachment of an electrical and / or electronic device (not shown) to the carrier 10a. In some illustrative examples, the landing area 11 may be equipped with a mechanical coupling structure (not shown) for permanently or releasably coupling an electrical and / or electronic device (not shown) to the flexible circuit structure 10 via the landing area 11. For example, at least one of a clamp, hook, nose, etc., may be provided as a mechanical coupling structure (not shown) on the carrier 10a.

[0115] Continue to refer to Figure 2 The carrier 10a may have at least one cutting line CT formed therein, thereby cutting the carrier 10a along the cutting line CT, wherein the carrier 10a may be cut along the cutting line to extend the shape of the flexible circuit structure 10. In some particularly illustrative but non-limiting examples herein, the cutting line CT may be implemented via a recess provided in the surface of the carrier 10a.

[0116] For example, the cut-line CT can extend entirely around the flexible circuit structure; that is, the CT can completely surround the conductive line 14, the connecting terminal 15, and the line 18. In some illustrative but non-limiting examples herein, the cut-line CT can have a shape that defines a landing area 11 at the connecting terminal 15.

[0117] like Figure 2 As shown, in Figure 2 The carrier 10a provided in the stage shown, that is, before applying the cutting process to cut along the cutting line CT, can be based on Figure 2 The carrier material sheet of carrier 10a shown. Figure 2 The carrier material sheet shown may have test circuits formed thereon, such as along... Figure 2 The test lead extends from the edge at the opposite end shown. The test lead can be routed to the test connection terminal indicated by the circular or elliptical portion at the lower right end of the shape surrounded by the cut wire CT. When the cut wire CT is cut, the test lead is interrupted, and the connection between the conductive line 14 and the test circuit is broken. Therefore, in Figure 2In the phase shown, the flexible circuit structure 10 can be tested even when no module connected to the connection terminal 15 is present in the landing area 11. Additionally, based on the above regarding the LED component 8... Figure 1 and Figure 1 The implementation described in the context of a is vertically formed in Figure 2 The optional LED component above the connection terminal can be connected to connection terminal 15. Optional test leads are available to allow testing even when no module is connected to connection terminal 15. Figure 2 The LED component is shown in the stage test.

[0118] The conductive line 14 includes a conductive trace 18 formed by at least two conductive lines that electrically connect at least two connection terminals of the connection terminals 15 to a sensor element 18a (e.g., an oxygen sensor element). The conductive lines are routed in a curved wiring pattern 18b between the at least two terminals of the connection terminals 15 and the sensor element 18a. The curved wiring pattern 18b may have at least a partially wavy or sinusoidal shape (e.g., as shown in the image). Figure 2 At least one wiring portion (shown as a curved or deformed sinusoidal shape). However, this does not impose any limitation on this disclosure, and those skilled in the art will understand that any curved wiring can form at least a circular portion of the trace implementing the wiring adjacent to the sensor element 18a. For example, the curved wiring pattern 18b may be partially surrounded by a cutting line CT, such that the curved wiring pattern 18b can be partially cut out from the carrier 10a when cut along the cutting line CT. After cutting, the curved wiring pattern 18b may be folded away from the remaining carrier 10a. The conductive lines include at least two conductive lines electrically connecting at least two of the connecting terminals to the sensor element (preferably an oxygen sensor element), and the conductive lines wiring between the two terminals and the oxygen sensor element have at least one wiring portion in the curved wiring pattern 18b that is at least partially wavy or sinusoidal in shape.

[0119] According to some illustrative examples, additional cutting lines may be present, such as cutting lines extending between the wavy wirings in the curved wiring pattern 18b, such that portions of the curved wiring pattern 18b can be separated by at least one cutting line extending therebetween. Thus, the curved wiring pattern 18b may extend after cutting one or more additional cutting lines therebetween.

[0120] refer to Figure 3 This shows that during operation, including Figure 2A schematic diagram of a smart wearable configuration 10' of a flexible circuit structure 10. The smart wearable configuration 10' includes a flexible circuit structure 10 electrically connected to a module 11'. The module 11' includes circuitry for driving a sensor element 18a of the flexible circuit structure 10, for example, providing electrical signals to the sensor element 18a so that the sensor element 18a can perform its dedicated function as a sensor element. The module 11' may also include a power source, such as a battery for supplying power to the flexible circuit structure 10. Additionally or alternatively, the module 11' may also include an antenna structure (not shown) for wireless communication with the sensor element 18a on the flexible circuit structure 10 or a processor (not shown) of the module 11' and / or for powering the module 11' and the flexible circuit structure 10 via electromagnetic radiation received by the antenna structure (not shown). The module 11' may be accommodated on the flexible circuit structure 10 at a landing area 11 and may be releasably coupled to the connection terminals 15 of the flexible circuit structure 10. Figure 2 The flexible circuit structure 10 of the CT cut-line allows the curved wiring pattern in the carrier portion 18' to be separated from the remaining carrier body of the carrier 10a, enabling the curved wiring pattern in the carrier portion 18' or the cut portion supporting the curved wiring pattern to be aligned with the finger F of the user's hand H (e.g., a patient being examined by a smart wearable device or a user using the smart wearable device 10'). The carrier portion 18' may also have a "T"-shaped end 18a', which may have an adhesive or patch-like surface, allowing the carrier portion 18' to attach to the finger F, so that the sensor element 18a (see...) Figure 2 Appropriately position the finger on the fixed spatial location of the finger F.

[0121] refer to Figure 4 This schematically illustrates how a sensor element, serving as an oxygen sensor element, is implemented. Figure 2 The sensor element 18a is implemented by means of the oxygen sensor element 18a'', which has light sources L1 and L2 and is connected to... Figure 2 The photodetector LD is electrically connected to the curved wiring pattern 18 in the middle. However, this does not impose any limitation on this disclosure, and those skilled in the art will understand that sensor element 18a can be implemented as an electrical stimulation electrode or any other suitable sensor element.

[0122] For example, light sources L1 and L2 can be configured to emit light with wavelengths in different wavelength regions detectable by a photodetector LD. Figure 4 As shown in the illustration, the oxygen sensor element 18a'' can be implemented by a carrier portion extending from the fingertip and nail of the finger F, which is consistent with... Figure 2 The illustration shows a sensor element that exposes the fingertip and nail in the opposite manner. However, those skilled in the art will understand that without... Figures 2 to 4 In cases where the smart wearable element 10' is limited to a specific layout and design, for example, by appropriate shaping Figure 2 The form of the cutting line CT in the middle, Figure 3 Different designs of the carrier portion 18' and the end portion 18a' or the oxygen sensor element 18a' are possible.

[0123] Referring to Figures 5a and 5b, a flexible circuit structure 20 is schematically shown in the top view of Figure 5b and the bottom view of Figure 5a. The flexible circuit structure 20 has a carrier 20a, which has two opposing main surfaces 20a1 and 20a2. Surface 20a1 may be the surface of the carrier facing the user's skin during operation of the flexible circuit structure, while surface 20a2 may be oriented to face away from the user's skin during operation of the flexible circuit structure 20.

[0124] Referring to FIG5a, electrodes 26 (e.g., 26a and 26b) are formed at separate locations in surface 20a1. Each of electrodes 26a and 26b is electrically connected via conductive traces to a vertical interconnect 29 extending through the thickness of the carrier 20a between surfaces 20a1 and 20a2.

[0125] Referring to FIG. 5b, a connection terminal 25 is formed in surface 20a2, and the connection terminal 25 is electrically connected to the vertical interconnect 29 via conductive traces routed in surface 20a2. Furthermore, the connection terminal 25 can be electrically connected via conductive traces 24 to antenna patterns 27a and 27b formed in surface 20a2 (conductive traces 24 are indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 5a for illustration purposes; depending on the transparent or translucent optical properties of the material of carrier 20a, conductive traces 24 may not be visible in the view of FIG. 5a). Antenna patterns 27a and 27b can be formed in surface 20a2 at locations aligned with the thickness of carrier 20a at positions where electrodes 26a and 26b are formed in the opposite surface 20a1. The connection terminal 25 can be disposed at the center of the surface of carrier 20a, such as the center of surface 20a2. Therefore, surface 20a2 can provide a receiving and landing area for receiving the flexible electrical... Electrical and / or electronic modules (not shown) are electrically connected to the connection terminals 25 of the circuit structure 20. For example, antenna patterns 27a and 27b can be provided as antenna dipole patterns configured to receive electromagnetic radiation for wireless communication with the flexible circuit structure 20 (i.e., the electrical and / or electronic modules (not shown) to be connected to the connection terminals 25). Furthermore, antenna patterns 27a and 27b can be configured to receive electromagnetic radiation to actively power the flexible circuit structure 20. For example, the trace width of the conductive trace 24 can be greater than the trace width of the trace connecting the connection terminals 25 and the vertical interconnect 29. For example, the trace width ratio between trace 24 and the trace connecting the connection terminals 25 and the vertical interconnect 29 can be greater than 2, greater than 5, or greater than 10.

[0126] Referring to Figure 5a, electrodes 26a and 26b can be electrodes constructed for electrical stimulation, such that electrodes 26a and 26b are formed in a helical shape, for example, a tightly wound helical shape, which allows for an increase in the area available for electrical stimulation by each of electrodes 26a and 26b.

[0127] Antenna patterns 27a and 27b can each realize an antenna loop portion that can operate in a frequency range from 1 kHz to approximately 10 GHz.

[0128] refer to Figure 6 The flexible circuit structure 30 is schematically shown in the top view. The flexible circuit structure 30 includes a carrier 30a, conductive lines 34 and electrodes 36 formed on at least one surface of the carrier 30a, and connection terminals 35 formed in one of the surfaces of the carrier 30a. Additionally, a corresponding to the above-mentioned... Figure 1 and Figure 1 The LED component 8 described in a has an optional LED element 38.

[0129] Electrode 36 can be provided by electrodes disposed on the opposite end of carrier 30a, such as... Figure 6 Electrodes 36a and 36b are shown, with their opposing electrodes at... Figure 6 The electrode 36 is shown as being disposed on the opposite end of the carrier 30a. The electrode 36 may include a stimulation electrode 36a and a microheating structure 36b, the stimulation electrode 36a corresponding to the electrode 26 as described above with respect to FIG. 5a. The microheating structure 36b may include a circular portion surrounding the periphery of the electrode 36a and a linear portion 36c extending radially relative to the electrode 36a.

[0130] refer to Figure 6 a, schematically showing along Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of lines 6a-6a is shown. Based on the schematic cross-sectional view, the stacked configuration of the micro-heating structure 36b, electrode 36a, and carrier 30a is schematically illustrated. In this document, electrode 36a is schematically shown as a wire element; however, this does not impose any limitations, and it should be understood that… Figure 6 The element 36a shown corresponds to a cross section passing through the trace of the spiral winding shape.

[0131] The micro-heating structure 36b can be formed of a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material or a carbon conductive material. For example, it can be configured to be in thermal contact with a material layer having a relatively high thermal conductivity, more preferably having a thermal conductivity of at least 1 W / (m K), such as greater than 2 W / (m K), or greater than 5 W / (m K), or greater than 10 W / (m K), or greater than 20 W / (m K), or greater than 50 W / (m K). However, this does not impose any limitations, and the micro-heating structure 36b can be in contact only with the electrode 36a, which can also act as a heat dissipation layer in addition to its electrical function.

[0132] However, this does not impose any limitation on this disclosure, and those skilled in the art will understand that the micro-heating structure 36b and the electrode 36a can be configured on opposite surfaces of the carrier 30a.

[0133] refer to Figure 6 b, schematically illustrating a cross-sectional view along line 6b-6b, showing a conductive trace 34a formed on the surface of the carrier 30a. Thus, the conductive trace 34a can be formed on the same surface as at least the micro-heating structure 36b.

[0134] refer to Figure 7A flexible circuit structure 40 according to some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated in a top view. The flexible circuit structure is formed by conductive lines 44 and electrodes 46a to 46d disposed in the surface of a carrier (not shown), and connection terminals 45 formed in the surface of the carrier (not shown). Electrodes 46a to 46d are connected to corresponding connection terminals in the connection terminals 45 via corresponding conductive lines in the conductive lines 44. Optionally, it may include the circuit structure according to the above description... Figure 1 and Figure 1 LED component 8 described in a. LED component 48.

[0135] Electrodes 46a to 46d can perform different sensor functions, and electrode 46a can be configured as an electrostimulation electrode similar to electrodes 26a and 36a as described above, while electrode 46b can be configured as an exudate electrode. Electrode 46c can be configured as a pH electrode, and electrode 46d can be configured as another pH electrode. For example, the exudate electrode can surround the periphery of the electrostimulation electrode 46a, while the pH electrode can be configured around the periphery of the electrostimulation electrode 46a at positions corresponding to 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00. pH measurement can be achieved via measurement between a reference electrode implemented in each of electrodes 46c and 46d and the pH-sensitive layer.

[0136] For example, either pH electrode 46c or 46d can be used to measure the pH of a solution using a potential, where each electrode operates by comparing the potential of the pH-sensitive system with the potential of a stable reference system. For example, each electrode can be implemented using an electrode system configured to change the voltage proportionally to the concentration of hydrogen ions, including a sensing electrode for measuring the potential. For example, the sensing electrode can be filled with a conductive potassium chloride (KCl) solution between the pH-sensitive glass and the sensing electrode. Furthermore, pH electrodes 46c and 46d can be individually or both coupled to a reference system separate from each sensing system. Instead of the pH-sensitive glass, the reference system can use a replaceable reference junction, which provides electrical contact with the sample while protecting the internal system. Unlike the pH-sensitive glass, the reference junction does not change its potential with pH changes. The reference electrode measures the potential of the solution. The reference system can be filled with a refillable silver / silver chloride (Ag / AgCl) solution, which is conductive between the reference junction and the reference electrode. However, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not impose any limitations on the specific layout of electrodes 46c and 46d.

[0137] in addition, Figure 7The flexible circuit structure 40 may also be equipped with an antenna pattern similar to the antenna patterns 27a and 27b described above, to allow wireless communication and / or operation of the flexible circuit structure 40. Therefore, the flexible circuit structure 40 allows for smart wearable configurations including various technologies such as pH monitoring, exudate monitoring, and electrical stimulation. The carrier may be provided as a patch with a temperature-sensitive substrate and / or provided on a patch with a temperature-sensitive substrate, and the conductive traces and / or electrodes may be formed based on silver chloride ink or any other conductive ink, as described above with respect to the first and second aspects.

[0138] Further reference Figure 7 Additional pH electrodes can be distributed on the carrier between the electrostimulation electrodes 46a, thereby increasing the spatial resolution of pH measurement over the region of the flexible circuit structure 40.

[0139] refer to Figure 8 The diagram illustrates a flexible circuit structure 15 according to some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure. The flexible circuit structure 50 may include a carrier 50a, which may correspond to the above-described... Figure 1 The carrier 2 described above. Furthermore, conductive lines 54, connection terminals 55, and electrodes 56, such as electrodes 56a and 57b, may be provided. Additionally, the microchannel structure 57 has at least one microchannel 57a formed in the surface of the carrier 50a, the microchannel structure 57a accommodating the electrode 57b. Furthermore, the flexible circuit structure 50 includes components similar to those described above. Figure 1 The described LED component 8 includes an LED component 58. A microchannel structure 57a is formed in the surface of the carrier 50a for guiding liquid or fluid secreted from the user's skin to one or more inlets at the electrode 57b for realizing an electrochemical sensor. The microchannel structure 57a has at least one channel connected to the microchannel structure 57a and one or more orifices providing one or more inlets, and a reservoir intersecting the microchannel structure 57a, wherein the electrode 57b is aligned with the reservoir of the microchannel 57a and communicates with the microchannel structure 57a via one or more orifices. Furthermore, an outlet orifice is provided at the microchannel structure 57a for discharging the fluid collected by the microchannel structure 57a.

[0140] In some illustrative embodiments, the microchannel structure 57a may be formed of interconnected channels, such as linearly extending channels and half or full circular channels or any other curved channel portions.

[0141] Conductive traces may extend between electrode 57b and corresponding connection terminals in connection terminal 55, similar to how electrode 56a is connected to corresponding connection terminals in connection terminal 55 via corresponding conductive traces.

[0142] refer to Figure 8The microchannel structure 57a includes a microchannel that provides a path for guiding fluid to one or more dedicated (or corresponding) conductive lines in the conductive lines, thereby allowing dedicated sensing functions implemented by these conductive lines. The microchannel structure 57a includes a microfluidic system formed on a carrier 50a. The microfluidic system may also include microchannels for realizing microchannels, reservoirs, valves, and sensors, which, when used in fluid sensing applications with flexible circuit structures, function to control fluid within a confined space on the carrier.

[0143] For example, a microfluidic system providing a microchannel structure 57a can be disposed on a carrier 50a by laminating layers (e.g., PET) onto at least a portion of the surface of a carrier and patterning the laminated layers into a line pattern to define the microfluidic system on the surface of the carrier 50a, such that one or more microchannels of the microchannel structure 57a are defined in or on the surface of the carrier 50a. The microchannels of the microchannel structure 57a may herein be formed by a laminated layer pattern or a laminated line pattern on the surface of the carrier (e.g., PET and adhesive or other bonding of PET on the carrier after lamination) and / or recesses formed in the surface of the carrier 50a.

[0144] Within at least one microchannel, for example, a microchannel having a reservoir portion with an increased channel width compared to the rest of the microchannel (e.g. Figure 8 As shown in the reservoir containing electrode 57b), a transducer for a biosensor can be provided. For example, at least one electrode 57b of the transducer may be formed within at least one microchannel of the microchannel structure 57a (e.g., by wiring conductive material at least partially within at least one microchannel and forming the electrode at the wiring location within at least one channel, for example in...). Figure 8 (In the reservoir). Bioreceptor materials, such as membrane materials, may be formed on the electrode 57b in the reservoir (e.g., by cross-linking the bioreceptor material on the electrode 57b). For example, electrode 57b may include one or more noble metal electrodes (such as one or more gold electrodes).

[0145] As described above and according to some specific illustrative examples, at least one microchannel of the microchannel structure 57a may be covered at least at the reservoir by the covering system at the electrode 57b (for ease of illustration, the electrode 57b is...). Figure 8 (Not shown in the view) Cover. The covering system (not shown) may be formed on the wall of the microchannel at least at the reservoir, such that a cavity for receiving the detected biofluid (not shown) is formed around the electrode 57b at least at the location of the electrode 57b.

[0146] refer to Figure 9a This schematically illustrates the basis... Figure 8An illustrative example of a smart wearable configuration 50 with a flexible circuit structure 50 is provided. The smart wearable configuration 50' includes a carrier 50a' having electrodes 56 and a microchannel structure 57 on which an electrochemical sensor configuration is formed. The microchannel structure 57 may be formed in the lower surface LS of the carrier 50a', which is indicated as the surface of the smart wearable configuration 50' to mechanically contact the skin of the user of the smart wearable configuration 50'.

[0147] refer to Figure 9b The diagram schematically illustrates the relationship between carrier 50a' and... Figure 9a The plan view shows the upper surface US opposite to the lower surface LS. The upper surface US has a module 55a, which is provided with a module connection terminal 59 for connecting the module 55a to a connection terminal (not shown) formed thereon on the carrier 50a'. Electrodes 56 may be provided as electrodes formed only on one surface of the carrier 50a'; however, this does not impose any limitations, and electrodes 56 may be formed on either side of the carrier 50a' (i.e., the lower surface LS and the upper surface US), and may be implemented as one or more electrodes 56 exposed at both surfaces extending along the thickness of the carrier 50a'. The smart wearable configuration 50' may be implemented as an active component configuration or a passive component configuration, as described above with respect to other embodiments of this disclosure. The carrier 50a' may be attached to a patch for implementing a smart bandage.

[0148] According to some illustrative examples, the microchannel structure 57 may include linearly extending channels, such as configured in an interconnected star configuration, with the outer ends of the channels interconnected via surrounding channels, while the inner ends of the linearly extending channels are coupled to a cavity. The cavity may be centered within a region surrounded by the outer surrounding channels, or may be asymmetrically configured within that region. The outer surrounding channels may at least partially surround the linearly extending channels, for example, completely surround them, such as... Figure 9a As shown.

[0149] refer to Figure 9a and Figure 9b The microchannel structure 57a includes a microchannel that provides a path for guiding fluid to one or more dedicated (or corresponding) conductive lines in the conductive lines, thereby allowing dedicated sensing functions to be implemented by these conductive lines. The microchannel structure 57a includes a microfluidic system formed on a carrier 50a'. The microfluidic system may also include microchannels for realizing microchannels, reservoirs, valves, and sensors, which, when used in fluid sensing applications with flexible circuit structures, function to control fluid within a confined space on the carrier.

[0150] about Figure 10 Schematic illustration Figure 8 The amplification section of the electrochemical sensor configuration.

[0151] like Figure 10 As shown, a carrier having conductive traces 54, connection terminals 55, and a microchannel structure 57' can be provided for realizing an electrochemical sensor (electrode) formed in the main surface of the carrier. The microchannel structure 57' has a channel 57a' comprising two linearly extending microchannels continuously connected to discontinuous semi-circular channel portions formed in the surface of the carrier. The microchannel structure 57' accommodates conductive traces 57b' and 57c' partially wired within and outside the channels. The microchannel structure 57' is formed in the surface of the carrier for guiding liquids or fluids secreted from a user's skin into one or more inlets to realize the electrochemical sensor. The microchannel structure 57' has one or more orifices connected to at least one channel and providing one or more inlets, and a reservoir intersecting the microchannel structure 57', wherein the electrode is aligned with the reservoir of the microchannel structure 57' and communicates with the microchannel structure 57' via one or more orifices. Furthermore, an outlet orifice is provided at the microchannel structure 57' for discharging fluid collected by the microchannel structure 57'.

[0152] Regarding the above Figures 8 to 10 The electrochemical sensors described in the context of this disclosure are illustrative examples only and do not impose limitations on this disclosure.

[0153] Generally speaking, Figures 8 to 10 The electrochemical sensor in any of these embodiments may be embodied as a sensor constructed for the quantitative analysis of biofluids such as sweat by means of direct sampling and detection of a variety of biomarkers without evaporation. For example, the carrier employed herein may have at least a portion of material dependent on an absorbent pad or fabric substrate constructed to adhere to the user's skin to collect biofluids such as sweat.

[0154] For example, in Figures 8 to 10 Any carrier described in the context can be implemented as a soft microfluidic system with a skin interface that captures and stores biofluids, such as sweat, on the surface of a subject's skin. For example, microchannel portions can be provided to realize (wireless, where an antenna pattern is additionally provided) a microfluidic device to capture sweat and store it in the channels of the microfluidic device. For example, microchannels can be positioned in the acquisition area of ​​the carrier's main surface, for example, through the acquisition area (~10 mm). 2 A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channel layer is formed on the carrier. The conformal contact of the adhesive layer allows for volumetric sampling at illustrative rates of approximately 1.2 μL / h to 12 μL / h (but not limited to).

[0155] In some other illustrative examples, a microfluidic system may include multiple (at least two) separate channels having a serpentine channel (e.g., 1.0 mm wide; 300 μm high) formed for measuring how much biological fluid is discharged, while other channels may be formed for quantitative colorimetric determinations, which occur, for example, in a chamber (e.g., a cylindrical chamber) with a diameter of 4 mm and a depth of about 200 μm in the middle of the channel.

[0156] In some other illustrative examples, microfluidic systems can sequentially comprise networks of microchannels. For instance, in a circular overall design, such as one with a diameter of 3 cm, the system could have a thickness of 400 μm, a channel width of 200 μm, and a channel height of 300 μm. Another microfluidic network with a more complex structure can be considered to have the combined effect of different mechanisms of a valve system through a bilayer microfluidic system, enabling time-sequential biofluid sampling with immediate quantitative determination, thereby eliminating any possibility of mixing the sampled biofluid with the biofluid flow within the microfluidic system.

[0157] refer to Figure 11 A simplified side (cross-sectional) view of a flexible circuit structure 60 according to some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The flexible circuit structure 60 can be implemented as a double-sided flexible circuit structure including a carrier 62 and a conductive adhesive 64 (e.g., solder). The conductive adhesive 64 can be used to attach a plurality of components 67a, 67b, 67c, 67d to the carrier 62 on opposite first and second surfaces, the first and second surfaces representing two opposite main surfaces of the carrier 62, such as the surface facing the user's skin during use of the flexible circuit structure 60. Figure 11 The bottom surface in the illustration, i.e. the surface on which components 67c and 67d are disposed, while components 67a, 67b and 67c are disposed on the surface facing away from the user during use of the flexible circuit structure 60. The flexible circuit structure 60 may further include an optional encapsulation 65 above one or more of components 67a to 67d and conductive lines (not shown) and connection terminals (not shown).

[0158] In some illustrative examples herein, carrier 62 may represent a substrate material portion of a flexible substrate made of a flexible material, such as polymeric materials, including but not limited to any one or a combination of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyimide foil (PI), polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), or a variety of polymeric films. However, this does not impose any limitations, and in alternative examples, carrier 62 may comprise one or more rigid portions, and includes one or more of glass, wood, metal, PVC, silicone, epoxy resin, polycarbonate, or a variety of rigid materials. In yet another example, carrier 62 may comprise one or more flexible materials described herein and a combination of one or more rigid materials described herein.

[0159] Conductive lines (not shown) may be printed or formed on one or more host surfaces of carrier 62 using photolithography and etching techniques or selective deposition techniques. In some examples herein, the conductive lines (not shown) may include conductive materials, such as metallic materials or materials containing metal particles, such as, but not limited to, silver, platinum, palladium, copper, nickel, gold, or aluminum, or carbon, or conductive polymers, or some combination thereof. In some aspects, the conductive lines (not shown) may include metal particles and one or more chemical additives (e.g., solvents, binders, etc.) that improve one or more characteristics of the conductive lines (e.g., flexibility, stretchability, solderability, etc.). In some embodiments, the conductive metal or composite material may be a sheet, fine particles, or nanoparticles, or a combination thereof.

[0160] In some illustrative embodiments, complex patterns of conductive lines (not shown) can be selectively printed or otherwise deposited to form circuit lines by any of a variety of printing or additive deposition methods, including, for example, any form of gravure printing, lithographic screen printing, flexographic printing, photolithography, screen printing, rotary screen printing, digital printing, inkjet printing, aerosol jet printing, 3D printing, and similar printing methods or combinations thereof. In some examples, the conductive material can be in the form of printable conductive ink, toner, or other coatings. Electronic ink can include non-conductive particles or microparticles that are included to mechanically pierce or penetrate native oxides formed on a metal surface, thereby creating a low-resistance electrical contact between the metal surface and the electronic ink. In some such examples, the non-conductive particles can have surfaces including features for piercing the oxide metal surface. In other examples, the conductive particles can have surfaces including features for piercing the oxide metal surface. In some examples, the ink includes solvents and / or binders to help remove or penetrate the native oxide layer to expose the non-oxidized aluminum surface.

[0161] In some specific illustrative but non-limiting examples, the silver ink can be thermally cured, such that electrical testing after the curing process is complete provides mechanical strength and low resistance between the silver ink and the metal surface. In some other specific illustrative but non-limiting examples, a manufacturing process can be provided that includes printing silver ink directly onto an oxide metal surface to form mechanically strong and low-resistance interconnects to form a circuit.

[0162] Continue to refer to Figure 11 At least some of components 67a to 67d may be attached to the carrier 62 using a low-temperature solder as an adhesive 64. Components 67a to 67d may include at least one component element such as a resistor, capacitor, inductor, transistor, flat leadless package, one or more LEDs, microcontroller, sensor, or connector, and / or a module including at least one of the aforementioned component elements. Preferably, any component element having a relatively low profile shape factor is conceivably to be permanently attached to the carrier 62 using conductive adhesive 62 or releasably attached to the carrier 62 via a releasable mechanism (not shown).

[0163] In some aspects, the encapsulation 65 may be placed on at least some of the components 67a to 67d, which will not come into mechanical contact with an external body (not described) and / or will be non-releasably mounted to the carrier 62 and / or will be protected from environmental conditions (e.g., humidity, etc.). The encapsulation 65 may provide at least one of the following for protection, insulation, and mechanical security to at least one of the components 67a to 67d on the carrier 65.

[0164] Figure 12 The process schematically illustrated includes a first step of depositing conductive lines, optional contact pads, connection terminals, and one or more electrodes on a substrate formed by carrier strips, which are made of a conductive material such as a metal (e.g., copper or copper-based alloy, silver or silver-based alloy, gold or gold-based alloy, aluminum or aluminum-based alloy, or a mixture of at least one of these).

[0165] For example, these are produced by photolithography of layers of conductive material bonded and / or stacked to a substrate or layers derived from conductive material deposition (e.g., electrodeposition). They can also be deposited by stacking or screen printing.

[0166] In the case of combination or stacking, the spool 72 may first feed or supply the sheet 74 of conductive material into the process, such that the sheet 74 itself may come from the spool 72 (which is unwound) and be continuously applied to the carrier strip 73 unwound from the spool 71.

[0167] In some illustrative examples, bonding can be performed using conventional techniques for producing flexible electronic circuits, and, for example, the adhesive can be of two types: a liquid (which is then coated using rollers or troughs to perform the bonding process) or a film (which is then bonded by lamination).

[0168] After bonding, the curing step can be carried out at a temperature of about 20°C to about 120°C.

[0169] In some illustrative examples herein, the thickness of sheet 74 may conventionally be selected to be between about 10 μm and about 500 μm, preferably between about 10 μm and about 200 μm or between about 10 μm and about 100 μm, more preferably between about 10 μm and about 20 μm, such as between about 12 μm and about 18 μm.

[0170] Next, as Figure 12 As shown, the process may include creating conductive lines on wafer 74. For example, the process may use a photolithography process employing step 76 of placing photoresist and a mask in place, step 77a of exposing the unmasked portion of the photoresist to radiation, dissolving the exposed portion of the photoresist, and then performing chemical etching 77b, which removes portions of the conductive material of wafer 74 from areas no longer covered by the photoresist. However, this does not impose any limitations, and alternatively, at least one of the conductive lines, contact pads, connection terminals, and electrical contact pads may be mechanically cut out, for example, to form a conductive mesh, which may then be roll-bonded to a stacked carrier strip 73 of wafers 74 and 73, thereby forming a bonding strip between wafers 73 and 74.

[0171] Once the circuitry has been patterned on chip 74, the process can optionally continue by depositing 78 an optional protective coating, such as a nickel layer with or without phosphorus, on the conductive lines to protect them from oxidation. This protective coating can be deposited using electrodeposition or autocatalytic deposition. For example, the protective coating can have a thickness that provides sufficient corrosion resistance, such as between about 1 μm and about 10 μm, or between about 2 μm and about 5 μm.

[0172] Next, the application process may include applying a mask device 79a 79 to the line side of the bonding strips 73 and 74 of the strip, which may expose at least one of the contact pads, electrode areas, and connection terminals of the strip. A noble metal layer 80 may then be selectively deposited on at least one of the exposed contact pads, electrode areas, and connection terminals by the mask device 79a. For example, selective deposition of gold with a thickness of 1 to 100 nanometers, performed using electrodeposition or autocatalytic deposition, allows for the acquisition of low-resistance and oxidation-resistant connection regions. Various solutions can be used to produce the mask device 79a. For example, these devices 79a may include notches 79b that expose the contact pads and / or electrodes and / or connection terminals to allow for the selective deposition of noble metals thereon. For example, the mask device 79a may be composed of a film having openings that allow for the selective deposition of noble metals, or they may also be composed of an inlay having openings that allow for selective deposition, and applied to the strip as it moves to an electrolytic bath or deposition liquid applicator. Alternatively, the mask assembly 79a may be constituted by a tool, such as a plastic tool for forming a template, which is provided with cuts to expose the contact pads and electrodes. These cuts are placed on the strip and applied to the carrier strip at the station for depositing precious metals. In some illustrative examples, the mask assembly 79a may also be constituted by a masking strip made of foam applied to the strip, and provided with the cuts to expose the contact pads and electrodes.

[0173] The mask device 79a can be positioned during manufacturing to perform selective deposition by applying it to the strip as it moves into the electrolytic bath or onto the deposition liquid applicator, with openings that expose contact pads and / or electrodes.

[0174] The steps of this process can be performed sequentially on the unwound carrier strip 73. The manufacturer that produces the carrier strip 73a, which forms the flexible circuit structure to produce the tape, can then punch off unwanted circuit segments (e.g., test circuits) and rewind the carrier strip 81 and its flexible circuit structure back onto the reel 72' for potential storage before delivery to a company that performs the step of depositing biosensors onto the tape, or for internal transfer to a production line suitable for processing biological products to complete the tape.

[0175] In subsequent process steps, in the case of preparing a smart bandage with one or more biosensors, the flexible circuit structure on the carrier strip 81 may be provided with one or more biosensors. For this purpose, the carrier strip 81 can be unwound from the reel 72' again to perform deposition 84 of bioactive material on the electrodes using the deposition apparatus 83. The bioactive material may be, for example, an enzyme suitable for measuring glucose in a diabetic treatment. After deposition 84, one or more lamination steps may be performed, and the strip 88 may be separated in one or more cutting steps 85, 86, for example by a first cutting blade at step 85 and a punch at step 86, the first cutting blade separating the flexible circuit structure configured as, for example, a strip, and the punch shaping the flexible circuit structure into a desired shape, such as a strip.

[0176] The above process can provide an optimized solution for the mass production of smart wearable configurations, such as smart bandages with one or more biosensors, especially in the context of reel-to-reel processes, and reduces the amount of gold or precious metals required for such manufacturing.

[0177] In some illustrative embodiments described herein, carrier strip 81 may represent the above regarding the above. Figures 1 to 10 At least one of the flexible circuit structures described and illustrated in any of the above. For example, cutting steps 85 and 86 may include cutting along at least one cutting line (e.g., Figure 2 The cutting line shown is CT.

[0178] although Figure 1 and Figures 3 to 10 The embodiments shown do not explicitly describe the cutting lines, but those skilled in the art will understand that this does not impose any limitations, and Figure 2 The description of the cut-line CT in the context can also be applied to the above regarding Figure 1 and Figures 3 to 10 Each implementation described.

[0179] As mentioned above Figures 1 to 13 In the illustrative embodiments described, flexible circuit structures can be provided for implementing transducers in biosensors.

[0180] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that when the terms “comprising” and / or “including” are used in this specification, they specifically indicate the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. “Optional” or “optionally” means that an event or condition subsequently described may or may not occur, and the description includes both cases where the event occurs and cases where the event does not occur.

[0181] The approximate language used throughout the specification and claims may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that may permissibly vary without altering its associated essential function. Accordingly, values ​​modified by one or more terms such as “about,” “approximate,” and “substantially” are not limited to the specified precise values. In at least some cases, approximate language may correspond to the precision of the instrument used to measure the value. In this document and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and / or interchanged, such ranges being identified and including all subranges contained herein, unless otherwise indicated by context or language. “Approximate” or “substantially”, when applicable to a particular value of a range, applies to both values ​​of that range and, unless dependent on the precision of the instrument used to measure the value, generally indicates + / - 10% of the stated value(s).

Claims

1. A flexible circuit structure, comprising: The carrier for flexible insulating materials is preferably a carrier strip; Conductive lines and one or more electrodes formed on at least one of a first surface of the carrier and a second surface of the carrier opposite to the first surface; A connection terminal is formed on the first surface and electrically connected to the one or more electrodes via at least some of the conductive lines; and A fluid collector system formed on the carrier, the fluid collector system including at least one microchannel formed in the second surface. At least one of the conductive lines is formed to extend at least partially within the at least one microchannel.

2. The flexible circuit structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the following is true: The fluid collector system is connected to a pH sensor and / or a sweat sensor and / or a Na+ sensor; At least one microchannel is arranged in a semi-circular, circular, elliptical, spiral, or sigma pattern; and / or The flexible circuit structure includes the carrier having short microfluidic paths implemented by the one or more microchannels, which are configured to guide sweat appearing on the user's skin into small spaces on the surface of the carrier.

3. The flexible circuit structure according to claim 1 or 2 further includes an LED component disposed on the first surface, the LED component being connected to the two or more connection terminals via conductive lines routed on the first surface between the LED component and two or more connection terminals.

4. The flexible circuit structure according to claim 3 further includes an electrical module having a microchip, the electrical module being releasably connected to the connection terminal.

5. The flexible circuit structure according to claim 4, wherein the electrical module further includes a power supply for supplying power to the flexible circuit structure, and the flexible circuit structure is configured as an active circuit structure.

6. A flexible circuit structure, comprising: The carrier for flexible insulating materials is preferably a carrier strip; Conductive lines and one or more electrodes formed on at least one of a first surface of the carrier and a second surface of the carrier opposite to the first surface; A connection terminal is formed on the first surface and electrically connected to the one or more electrodes via at least some of the conductive lines; An electrical module having a microchip, the electrical module being releasably connected to the connection terminal; as well as An LED component is disposed on the first surface, the LED component being connected to the two or more connection terminals via conductive lines routed on the first surface between the LED component and two or more connection terminals. The two connection terminals that contact the LED component are not interconnected, thereby providing an open circuit relative to the LED component and the conductive lines wired between the LED component and the two connection terminals, the open circuit being closed by the electrical module connected to the connection terminals.

7. The flexible circuit structure according to claim 6, wherein the electrical module further includes a power supply for supplying power to the flexible circuit structure, the flexible circuit structure being configured as an active circuit structure.

8. The flexible circuit structure according to claim 6 or 7 further includes a fluid collector system formed on the carrier, preferably on the second surface, the fluid collector system including at least one microchannel formed in the second surface.

9. The flexible circuit structure according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the following is true: The fluid collector system is connected to a pH sensor and / or a sweat sensor and / or a Na+ sensor; At least one microchannel is arranged in a semi-circular, circular, elliptical, spiral, or sigma pattern; At least one of the conductive lines may be formed to extend at least partially within the at least one microchannel; and / or The flexible circuit structure includes the carrier having short microfluidic paths implemented by the one or more microchannels, which are configured to guide sweat appearing on the user's skin into small spaces on the surface of the carrier.

10. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the carrier comprises a substrate laminated with a conductive material sheet, preferably a substrate made of PET and / or PI and / or VEP, the conductive material sheet being patterned to provide a wiring pattern for the conductive lines, wherein the flexible circuit structure comprises at least two electrodes configured to perform one of electrochemical measurements and chemielectric resistance measurements or configured to include an organic electrochemical transistor system.

11. The flexible circuit structure according to claim 10, wherein the conductive material sheet comprises at least one of copper, aluminum, silver, gold, precious metals and platinum group metals.

12. The flexible circuit structure according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the wiring pattern is formed from a patterned conductive material sheet, such as a copper sheet, wherein the patterned conductive material sheet is plated with at least one of gold, silver and platinum group metals.

13. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the electrode is disposed on or integrated into the substrate and has at least one electrode surface exposed relative to the substrate.

14. The flexible circuit structure of claim 13, wherein the at least one exposed electrode surface is covered by a membrane, the membrane being configured to diffuse through the membrane an analyte to be detected by the electrode, such as at least one of glucose, lactic acid, ketones, and creatinine.

15. The flexible circuit structure of claim 13, wherein the substrate further comprises a microfluidic system in at least partial fluid communication with the wiring pattern.

16. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the one or more electrodes comprise at least one stimulating electrode arranged in substantially helical wiring on the carrier.

17. The flexible circuit structure of claim 16, wherein the at least one stimulation electrode is disposed on the second surface, and the at least one stimulation electrode is connected to a conductive line via a through-hole connector extending through the carrier between the first surface and the second surface.

18. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 17 further includes at least one pH sensor and / or at least one exudate sensor disposed on the carrier.

19. The flexible circuit structure according to claim 18 and in conjunction with claim 16 or 17, wherein the at least one pH sensor and / or at least one exudate sensor are configured relative to the at least one stimulation electrode such that the at least one pH sensor is disposed in an area covered by the at least one stimulation electrode and / or the at least one exudate sensor is disposed around the periphery of the at least one stimulation electrode.

20. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the flexible insulating material comprises at least one of polyetherimide (PEI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyimide (PI), glass-epoxy resin composite material, and cellulose material.

21. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 20, further comprising an adhesive layer formed on one surface of the carrier, wherein the conductive lines are preferably formed only on the first surface of the carrier, and the adhesive layer is preferably formed at least partially on the second surface.

22. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the conductive lines are formed of a conductive material comprising at least one of silver, copper and gold.

23. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the carrier is disposed on a substrate comprising at least one of silicone resin, acrylate, hydrocolloid, synthetic rubber and medical tape to provide a wearable configuration, such as a bandage, preferably a gauze bandage, such as an adhesive bandage or an elastic bandage.

24. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the conductive lines comprise at least two conductive lines that electrically connect at least two of the connection terminals to a sensor element, preferably an oxygen sensor element, the conductive lines being routed in a curved wiring pattern between the two terminals and the oxygen sensor element, the curved wiring pattern having at least one wiring portion that is at least partially waveform or sinusoidal in shape.

25. The flexible circuit structure according to claim 24 in conjunction with claim 6 or 3, wherein the LED component and the sensor element are disposed on the first surface.

26. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 25, further comprising a microheating structure disposed on at least one of the first surface and the second surface, wherein the microheating structure is configured to heat the microheating structure to a temperature in the range of about 36°C to about 90°C.

27. The flexible circuit structure according to claim 26 and in conjunction with claim 16 or 17, wherein the microheating structure is disposed on the carrier to at least partially surround the at least one stimulation electrode on the carrier, the microheating structure is preferably formed of a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material or a carbon conductive material, and / or the microheating structure is preferably configured to be in thermal contact with a material layer having a relatively high thermal conductivity, more preferably having a thermal conductivity of at least 1 W / (m K), such as greater than 2 W / (m K), or greater than 5 W / (m K), or greater than 10 W / (m K), or greater than 20 W / (m K), or greater than 50 W / (m K).

28. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 27, wherein a subset of the conductive lines is wired on the first surface to form at least one antenna loop portion capable of operating in a frequency range from about 1 kHz to about 10 GHz.

29. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 28, wherein the flexible circuit structure is configured as a passive circuit structure.

30. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 29, wherein the carrier has a cut pattern disposed on the first surface, the cut pattern defining at least one line that does not extend across the conductive line, the cut pattern being configured such that when the carrier is cut along the at least one line, two carrier material portions separated by the at least one line can be displaced relative to each other.

31. The flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 30, wherein the connection terminal is disposed at the geometric center of the first surface and / or the connection terminal is configured to have a pattern of one or more substantially parallel terminal lines.

32. A bandage, such as a patch, comprising a flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 31.

33. A transducer for a biosensor, comprising a flexible circuit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 31.

34. A method for manufacturing a flexible circuit structure, comprising: Provide a carrier for flexible insulating materials, preferably a carrier strip; Conductive lines and one or more electrodes are formed on at least one of the first surface of the carrier and the second surface of the carrier opposite to the first surface; as well as Connection terminals are formed on the first surface and electrically connected to the one or more electrodes via at least some of the conductive lines.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein a flexible circuit structure is formed according to any one of claims 1 to 31.

36. The method of claim 34 or 35, further comprising providing a pattern of dicing lines, wherein the dicing lines in the pattern of dicing lines extend partially between some of the conductive lines in the conductive lines, preferably, the method further comprising cutting the pattern of dicing lines, more preferably, the method further comprising separating the flexible substrate structure along the pattern of dicing lines such that the carrier portion separated by the dicing lines is spaced apart from the carrier-free portion extending therebetween.

37. The method of any one of claims 34 to 36, wherein a flexible substrate is formed according to any one of claims 1 to 22, and / or the method further comprises integrating the flexible circuit structure into a bandage, such as a patch.

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