Segmented Flexible Substrate for Body-Worn Sensor Fit
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Standard printed circuit board (PCB) and flex-foil materials are not flexible or stretchable enough to provide a stable thermal contact for body-worn medical sensors, which is crucial for accurate temperature measurement and anatomical fit, while alternative substrates like textiles or rubber sheets are not cost-effective in terms of manufacturing yield and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A flexible and stretchable substrate layer structure is created by patterning industry-standard PCB materials with pre-fixed geometries formed by slits, such as parallel, S-shaped, or spiral cuts, allowing for adaptable stretchability to fit body surfaces, and can be used to form multi-layer structures with thermal insulation for enhanced measurement capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard PCB or flex-foil substrates are used, then manufacturing cost and reliability are improved, but flexibility and stretchability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate layer is segmented by introducing slits that divide the continuous material into separated regions. These slits allow the substrate to stretch and conform to body surfaces while maintaining the base material's inherent reliability and manufacturability. The segmentation enables dimensional adaptation without changing the fundamental material properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure by combining the standard PCB or flex-foil substrate with a pattern of slits. This composite approach allows the substrate to exhibit both the mechanical reliability of industrial-standard materials and the geometric adaptability needed for body-worn applications.
2Ease of manufacture
If standard PCB or flex-foil substrates are used, then manufacturing cost is improved, but flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the substrate through slits, the invention enables standard materials to achieve flexibility required for body-worn sensors. The slits allow bending and conforming to body contours while maintaining compatibility with existing PCB and flex-foil manufacturing processes, thus keeping production costs low.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the substrate by introducing specific slit patterns (parallel, S-shaped, spiral) that transform the mechanical properties of rigid or semi-rigid materials into flexible configurations suitable for anatomical surfaces.
3Adaptability or versatility
If alternative substrates like textiles or rubber sheets are used, then flexibility and stretchability are improved, but manufacturing yield and cost-effectiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The slit-based segmentation approach enables standard substrates to achieve stretchability previously only available from alternative materials like textiles and rubber. This eliminates the need to switch to low-yield alternative materials while maintaining high manufacturing yield through established PCB and flex-foil processes.
4Ease of manufacture
If standard PCB substrates are used, then manufacturing cost is improved, but anatomical fit deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The slits segment the rigid PCB substrate, enabling it to bend and conform to anatomical surfaces such as the forehead or other body parts. This maintains cost-effectiveness while achieving the curved shapes necessary for proper sensor placement and anatomical fit.
Solution Approach 2:
The slit patterns enable the substrate to deform in multiple dimensions, transitioning from a flat rigid structure to a three-dimensional form that conforms to body surfaces. This dimensional adaptability achieves anatomical fit while using cost-effective standard materials.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate layer structure (100) is adapted to carry electronic device, or components, or electro-mechanical, or electro-chemical sensors, or a combination thereof, and is adapted to be attached to a surface of a human or animal body or biological species. The surface of the flexible substrate layer structure is patterned with a pre-fixed geometry formed by one or more slits (101-701, 502-702). The geometry is selected such that a stretchability of the substrate layer structure becomes adapted to the geometry of the body surface under it.