Researchers at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa might transform wearable health monitoring through a new technique. Assistant Professor Dr. Tyler Ray and his team have used a stencil method to make laser-induced graphene (LIG), lowering the expense and difficulty of producing high performance sensors, have significantly reduced the cost and complexity of manufacturing high-performance sensors, making this technology more accessible to both researchers and healthcare providers.
“This advancement allows us to create high-performance wearable sensors with greater precision and at a lower cost,”
said Ray. He goes onto say
“By using a simple metal stencil during the laser patterning process, we’ve overcome a key limitation of the traditional fabrication process, which opens up new possibilities for sensor design and functionality.”
The new technology reduces the minimum feature size from 120 micrometers to 45 micrometers and lets develop intricate sensor layouts like those with fine lines on electrodes. Previously achieving these layouts demanded extra laser methods and was difficult to achieve.
Researchers extend Ray’s prior efforts to create a sweat-sensing device made from 3D printing that gathers biomarkers in human sweat. In contrast to its predecessor’s valuable health insights，the stencil-based LIG technique improves resolution and introduces opportunities for multiple uses like temperature sensors and cutting-edge electrochemical applications.
Dr. Huanyu Cheng, a collaborator from Pennsylvania State University, emphasised the versatility of LIG in wearable devices:
“As long as the fibre is conductive, we can use it as a scaffold and do a lot of subsequent modifications on the surface to enable a number of sensors, such as a glucose sensor on the skin or an infection detector for wounds,”
The ability of LIG to adjust its electrical features comes from modifying the power and speed of the laser. Cheng’s group discovered that varying the laser options produced a range of LIG structures including porous foams and dense fibres. Raising the power produced a stronger network that functions excellently as a pressure sensor component for prosthetics or for machine-human communication.
The achievements of this study rely on both their technical progress and the goal to bring health monitoring tools to the masses. To increase the acceptance of wearable health devices in everyday applications the team aims to reduce the cost of sensors.
“This method could open up new opportunities for integrating health sensors into textiles, smartwatches, and even directly onto the skin,”
Ray added.
With decreasing costs for wearable sensors experts predict that continuous health monitoring will become standard in personalised healthcare. The ability of these devices to give ongoing summaries of vital signs and biochemical markers allows for the identification of early health alerts.
