3D Electronic Patch Elastic Layer Folded Antenna
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wearable electronic patches face issues with comfort, attachment duration, breathability, and durability due to inflexibility and rigidity, which lead to skin interference and reduced communication range, and are not suitable for extended wear or varied body movements.
Innovation Solution
The development of highly compliant and stretchable electronic patches with a three-dimensional design featuring a flat flexible circuit substrate with an elastic layer, allowing for physical shape change and wireless communication with minimal skin interference, along with a manufacturing process that includes an adhesive layer for secure attachment and sensors for both body and ambient temperature measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If rigid polymer substrates and semiconductor chips are used in wearable patches, then structural stability is improved, but flexibility and comfort deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid polymer substrates with flexible thin film structures that can conform to skin contours while maintaining structural integrity. The flexible substrate enables the patch to adapt to body movements and skin curvature, resolving the contradiction between structural stability and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures combining flexible substrates with embedded electronic components. This composite approach allows the integration of rigid elements (sensors, chips) within a flexible matrix, achieving both structural stability for component support and flexibility for skin conformability.
2Ease of manufacture
If rigid polymer substrates are used in wearable patches, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but breathability and comfort deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes porous or micro-perforated substrate structures that allow air and moisture vapor transmission. This porous design maintains manufacturing feasibility while significantly improving breathability, preventing sweat buildup and skin irritation during extended wear.
3Manufacturing precision
If the patch remains flat and rigid, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability to curved surfaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the patch with inherent curvature capabilities, allowing it to conform to spherical or curved surfaces like the human body. The flexible substrate and strategic component placement enable the patch to maintain functional alignment on curved geometries while preserving manufacturing precision through controlled flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates dynamic elements that allow the patch to adapt its shape in response to body movements and skin deformation. This dynamic design enables the patch to maintain contact and functionality on curved surfaces while accommodating physiological changes during wear.
4Volume of moving object
If the antenna is placed in direct contact with the skin, then compactness is improved, but wireless communication range deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary structure or positioning mechanism that separates the antenna from direct skin contact while maintaining compact form factor. This intermediary approach allows the antenna to operate in a position optimized for communication range without significantly increasing the overall patch volume.
Data Source
AI summary
A three-dimensional electronic patch includes a flat flexible circuit substrate that includes an elastic layer including a first portion and a second portion. The second portion includes at least side connected to the elastic layer and one or more sides defined by one or more cuts in the elastic layer. The three-dimensional electronic patch further includes a first sensor on the first portion of the elastic layer, a first conductive sensing pad under the first portion of the elastic layer and in electrical connection with the first sensor, and a conductive layer under the second portion of the elastic layer and in electrical connection with the first sensor. The second portion is folded to position the conductive layer away from the first portion.