Nested Serpentine Interconnects for Stretchable Electronics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing medical and non-medical electronic systems for sensing and imaging are often rigid and inflexible, which is not suitable for applications involving soft and curved biological tissues, limiting their effectiveness in diagnostics and data collection.

Innovation Solution

Development of stretchable electrical devices with meander-shaped or serpentine interconnects that include nested serpentine features, allowing for greater flexibility and stretchability, and integration with elastomeric substrates to accommodate bi-axial deformations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If rigid electronics are used in medical sensing and imaging systems, then manufacturing precision and structural stability are improved, but adaptability to curved biological surfaces and flexibility deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidflexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The interconnect structures are designed with serpentine and meander configurations that incorporate curved paths instead of straight lines. This curvature allows the rigid electronic components to conform to curved biological surfaces while maintaining structural integrity and electrical connectivity during deformation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The electronic system incorporates movable and flexible interconnect structures that can dynamically adapt their shape during stretching and deformation. The serpentine and meander patterns enable the interconnects to change configuration from rigid straight lines to flexible curved paths, allowing the device to accommodate dynamic movements of biological tissues

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If rigid electronic systems are used for data collection, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of operation on soft tissues deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent alignmentVSAvoidconformability to surfaces

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The serpentine and meander interconnect designs incorporate curved geometries that enable the electronic system to conform to curved biological surfaces. The curved paths allow the device to wrap around and follow the contours of soft tissues while maintaining precise component alignment through the flexible interconnect structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The electronic system is constructed with thin-film flexible interconnect structures that can bend and conform to surfaces. These thin-film serpentine and meander patterns provide the necessary flexibility for the device to be easily operated on soft tissues while maintaining manufacturing precision through controlled fabrication processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Adaptability or versatility

If stretchable interconnects with serpentine configurations are used, then flexibility and adaptability are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovestretchabilityVSAvoidinterconnect structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The serpentine and meander configurations use repetitive curved geometric patterns that provide stretchability through well-defined geometric transformations. These standardized curved patterns achieve high adaptability while controlling complexity through geometric repetition rather than arbitrary complex designs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The interconnect structure is divided into repeating serpentine and meander unit cells that can be systematically arranged. This segmentation allows the complex stretchable structure to be built from simple, repeatable geometric modules, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high flexibility and adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 stretchable devices provide enhanced flexibility and durability, enabling them to conform to curved surfaces and withstand multiple deformations, thereby improving data collection and sensing capabilities in medical and non-medical applications.

Implementation Method 1

the electrical interconnect can have a meander-shaped configuration that includes at least one nested serpentine-shaped feature

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS10334724B2Conformal electronics including nested serpentine interconnects

Publication Date: 2019.06.25 MEDIDATA SOLUTIONS INC

AI summary

An example stretchable device is described that includes electrical contacts and an interconnect coupling the electrical contacts. The interconnect has a meander-shaped configuration that includes at least one nested serpentine-shaped feature. The interconnect can be conductive or non-conductive. The meander-shaped configuration can be a serpentine structure, providing a serpentine-in-serpentine configuration.