Designing and Manufacturing Wearable Biosensors

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

As wearable electronic devices continue to be more prevalent, it’s an ever-greater challenge for companies that manufacture them to keep their competitive edge. It is vitally important that each device is effective, cost-efficient, and of the highest quality available.

To cost-effectively mass produce wearable biosensors, vertical integration of manufacturing and assembly operations is key. This involves printing conductive inks on flexible substrates and successfully performing converting operations (such as lamination of medical-grade hydrocolloids, adhesives, non-woven and foam layers, hydrogel dispensing and/or placement and final packaging) in surface-mount technology (SMT) components. Any connections must be made on the “non-patient” side of the patch to ensure patient comfort. We have been successful with 0.010" via print filling in order to have continuity between skin contact and a communication device.

Vertical integration for wearable biosensor manufacturing includes:

• DFM engineering abilities for tooling, test equipment, and packaging
• Screen-printing of silver, silver/silver chloride, carbon, dielectric, and graphic ink
• Sheet-fed and roll-to-roll printing
• SMT processes with flexible circuits. With screen-printed polyester, etched polyimide and rigid PCBs may be required for hybrid patches
• Screen printed through-holes on flexible substrates

To read this entire article, which appeared in the July 2023 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.