Highly Stretchable and Transparent Microfluidic Strain Sensors for Monitoring Human Body Motions

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• 作者：Sun Geun Yoon ; Hyung-Jun Koo ; Suk Tai Chang
• 刊名：ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
• 出版年：2015
• 出版时间：December 16, 2015
• 年：2015
• 卷：7
• 期：49
• 页码：27562-27570
• 全文大小：646K
• ISSN：1944-8252

文摘

We report a new class of simple microfluidic strain sensors with high stretchability, transparency, sensitivity, and long-term stability with no considerable hysteresis and a fast response to various deformations by combining the merits of microfluidic techniques and ionic liquids. The high optical transparency of the strain sensors was achieved by introducing refractive-index matched ionic liquids into microfluidic networks or channels embedded in an elastomeric matrix. The microfluidic strain sensors offer the outstanding sensor performance under a variety of deformations induced by stretching, bending, pressing, and twisting of the microfluidic strain sensors. The principle of our microfluidic strain sensor is explained by a theoretical model based on the elastic channel deformation. In order to demonstrate its capability of practical usage, the simple-structured microfluidic strain sensors were performed onto a finger, wrist, and arm. The highly stretchable and transparent microfluidic strain sensors were successfully applied as potential platforms for distinctively monitoring a wide range of human body motions in real time. Our novel microfluidic strain sensors show great promise for making future stretchable electronic devices.