Researchers from AMBER, the SFI Center for Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research, and from the Trinity School of Physics have developed next-generation graphene-based sensor technology with their innovative G-Putty material.
The team’s printed sensors are 50 times more sensitive than the industry standard and outperform other comparable nano-enabled sensors on one important metric that is considered to be groundbreaking in the industry: flexibility.
Maximizing sensitivity and flexibility without sacrificing performance makes the teams’ technology an ideal candidate for the emerging fields of wearable electronics and medical diagnostic equipment.
The team, led by Professor Jonathan Coleman of the Trinity School of Physics, one of the world’s leading nanoscientists, showed that they can make an inexpensive, printed graphene nanocomposite strain sensor.
They developed a method of formulating G-putty-based inks that can be printed as a thin film on elastic substrates, including plasters, and easily applied to the skin.
The team developed a method of formulating G-putty-based inks that can be printed as a thin film on elastic substrates, including plasters, and easily applied to the skin.
When creating and testing inks with different viscosities (runnability), the team found that G-Putty inks can be customized depending on the printing technology and application.
They published their results in Small magazine.
In medical environments, strain sensors are an extremely valuable diagnostic tool that can be used to measure changes in mechanical stress, such as the pulse rate or the ability of a stroke victim to swallow. A strain sensor detects this mechanical change and converts it into a proportional electrical signal, whereby it functions as a mechanical-electrical converter.
While strain sensors are currently available in the market, they are mostly made of metal foil, which has limitations in portability, versatility, and sensitivity.
My team and I previously made graphene nanocomposites with polymers found in rubber bands and silly putty. We have now turned G-Putty, our highly malleable stupid putty mixed with graphene, into an ink mix that has excellent mechanical and electrical properties. Our inks have the advantage that they can be transformed into a working device using industrial printing processes, from screen printing to aerosol to mechanical separation.
An added benefit of our very inexpensive system is that we can control a multitude of different parameters during the manufacturing process, which allows us to adjust the sensitivity of our material for specific applications that require the detection of really tiny strains. “
Jonathan Coleman, Professor, Trinity’s School of Physics
Current market trends in the global medical device market show that this research is well placed on the path towards personalized, tunable, and wearable sensors that can be easily integrated into clothing or worn on the skin.
In 2020, the wearable medical device market was valued at $ 16 billion, with significant growth particularly in remote patient monitoring devices and an increasing focus on fitness and lifestyle monitoring.
The team is ambitious to translate the scientific work into a product. Dr. Daniel O’Driscoll of the Trinity School of Physics added:
“The development of these sensors is a significant advance in the field of handheld diagnostic devices – devices that can be printed in custom patterns and conveniently mounted on a patient’s skin to monitor a range of different biological processes.
“We are currently exploring applications to monitor real-time respiration and pulse, joint movement and gait, and premature births in pregnancy. Our sensors combine high sensitivity, stability and large detection area with the ability to print bespoke patterns onto flexible, printable patterns.” With portable substrates we can adapt the sensor to the application. The methods used to manufacture these devices are inexpensive and easily scalable – essential criteria for making a diagnostic device for large scale use. “
Professor Coleman recently received a Proof of Concept grant from the European Research Council to build on these findings and begin developing a prototype for a commercial product. The group’s ultimate goal is to identify potential investors and industry partners and form a spin-out around the technology that focuses on both recreational and medical applications.
Source:
Journal reference:
O’Driscoll, DP, et al. (2021) Printable G-Putty for frequency and speed-independent high-performance strain sensors. Small. doi.org/10.1002/smll.202006542.
