Breathable, Wireless, Thin-Film Wearable Biopatch Using Noise-Reduction Mechanisms
Nathan Rodeheaver, Hojoong Kim, Robert Herbert, Hojin Seo, Woon‐Hong Yeo
Abstract
Skin-mounted wearable electronics are prone to motion artifacts from many sources, including sensor delamination, changes in electrode contact, skin strain, device movement, and changes in skin hydration. There continues to be increased development of wearable electronics that enable continuous physiological monitoring throughout daily life. However, these devices often fail to record accurate signals during movement such as bending, lifting, and stretching. Motion artifacts are also intensified during prolonged and repeated use from factors like decreased adhesion by sweating or dust. Here, we introduce a breathable, wireless wearable biopatch using an enhanced noise-reduction mechanism. The air-permeable, strain-isolated design is developed through computational modeling and experimental study and validated with human subjects during daily activities and exercise. The soft, lightweight wearable device is made with a breathable elastomeric membrane and stretchable thin-film connectors. The skin-like biopatch has a smaller form factor than comparable commercial health monitors while maintaining intimate contact without the need for adhesives or straps. In addition, we demonstrate superior sweat-wicking and skin temperature regulation with a reusable elastomer substrate. Together, this design can manage device movement, reduce skin strain, decrease electrostatic noise, and remove sweat to provide high-quality, real-time, continuous electrocardiogram recordings without data loss.