Flexible Implantable Biosensor with Thin Film Electrodes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional biosensors are not suitable for implantation due to their large size and hard material, causing skin and body irritation and internal damage, and require multiple electrodes to be inserted, leading to further damage.

Innovation Solution

An implantable biosensor design featuring a flexible and stretchable structure with an intermediate layer, a first electrode layer for reacting with bio materials, and a second electrode layer acting as a reference, both covered by a protective layer, minimizing mechanical strength differences with body tissues and reducing irritation and damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional hard material biosensors are used for insertion into living body, then biosensing function is achieved, but skin and body irritation and internal damage occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebiosensing functionVSAvoidskin and body irritation and internal damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces conventional hard material electrodes with flexible thin film electrodes made of biocompatible polymer materials. The electrode layer has a thickness of 1-10 micrometers and exhibits flexibility and stretchability, allowing it to conform to living body tissues without causing irritation or damage while maintaining biosensing functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite material structures including biocompatible polymer substrates, conductive polymer electrodes, and enzyme-based sensing materials. The intermediate layer uses biocompatible polymer materials that provide both mechanical flexibility and biological compatibility, resolving the contradiction between functional performance and tissue compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Measurement precision

If multiple individual electrodes are inserted into living body to measure bio material concentration, then measurement accuracy is improved, but damages to interior of living body increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebio material concentration measurementVSAvoiddamages to interior of living body

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the working electrode, reference electrode, and counter electrode into a single unified electrode layer structure. All three electrodes are formed on the same flexible thin film substrate, allowing simultaneous measurement of bio material concentration without requiring multiple separate insertions into the living body, thereby reducing tissue damage while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Stability of the object's composition

If rigid biosensor structure is used for stable measurement, then measurement stability is improved, but mechanical strength difference with body tissues causes irritation and damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemeasurement stabilityVSAvoidirritation and damage due to mechanical strength difference

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses flexible thin film electrodes with thickness of 1-10 micrometers made of biocompatible polymers that match the mechanical properties of living body tissues. The flexible structure allows the biosensor to deform with tissue movement without causing irritation or damage, while the integrated three-electrode system on a single substrate provides measurement stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs dynamically adaptable flexible electrodes that can change their mechanical properties to match the surrounding tissue. The biocompatible polymer materials allow the electrode to dynamically conform to tissue deformation, movement, and physiological changes, maintaining both mechanical compatibility and measurement stability throughout the implantation period.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The biosensor reduces internal damage and irritation by being flexible and stretchable, allowing smoother insertion and accurate bio material concentration measurement with integrated electrodes, enhancing elasticity and flexibility.

Implementation Method 1

The sensing material may be an enzyme, and the isoelectric point of the fixing material may be higher than the isoelectric point of the sensing material.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEnzyme reaction: Enzyme

Implementation Method 2

the intermediate layer and the protective layer may each include a flexible biocompatible polymer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS11925478B2Implantable biosensor

Publication Date: 2024.03.12 DAEGU GYEONGBUK INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

AI summary

Provided is an implantable biosensor including an intermediate layer; a first electrode layer provided on one surface of the intermediate layer and including a first electrode configured to react with a bio material and an auxiliary electrode electrically connected to the first electrode; and a second electrode layer provided on another surface of the intermediate layer to face the first electrode layer and including a second electrode operating as a reference electrode.