可穿戴设备在医疗保健应用中提供了对生理参数的无创和连续监测。然而,为了实现可穿戴设备在人体上的舒适应用,有两个关键要求:将传统笨重的设备替换为柔软可变形的设备以及无线可穿戴通信。在本文中,我们提出了一种简单、低成本且高效的全弹性导体,可用于软射频(RF)传输线和天线。我们展示了采用传统丝网印刷制造的可拉伸传输线和两个可拉伸天线。该制造方法中使用的可拉伸导体是银和聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)的混合物,可以在高应变下拉伸,同时保持高电导率、低衰减和可行的辐射性能。测得可拉伸导体的电导率达到1000S/cm。此外,高导电性印刷 Ag-PDMS 用于构建传输线和天线。这些可拉伸组件的性能,特别是在不同的弯曲、拉伸和扭曲条件下的性能,在常见的无线通信频段进行了实验检查。我们的结果表明,采用 Ag-PDMS 的印刷射频无源元件具有无线可穿戴通信应用所需的性能和质量,这将为可穿戴医疗电子产品提供新的机遇。
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Stretchable conductive elastomer for wireless wearable communication applications.
Wearable devices have provided noninvasive and continuous monitoring of physiological parameters in healthcare applications. However, for the comfortable applications of wearable devices on human body, two key requirements are to replace conventional bulky devices into soft and deformable ones and to have wireless wearable communication. In this paper we present a simple, low-cost and highly efficient all-elastomeric conductor that can be used in a soft radio-frequency (RF) transmission line and antenna. We show a stretchable transmission line and two stretchable antennas fabricated with conventional screen printing. The stretchable conductor used in this fabrication method, which is a mixture of Ag and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), can be stretched at high strains while maintaining a high conductivity, low attenuation and feasible radiation performance. The measured conductivity of the stretchable conductor reaches 1000 S/cm. Additionally, the highly conductive printed Ag-PDMS is utilized to construct transmission lines and antennas. The performance of these stretchable components, especially under different conditions of bending, stretching and twisting, are experimentally examined in common wireless-communication frequency bands. Our results demonstrate that printed Ag-PDMS enabled RF passive components have the desired property and quality for wireless wearable communication applications, which would provide new opportunities for wearable healthcare electronics.