Flexible Electronics for Wearables
Mapping and prioritizing flexible-electronics materials, process flows, and encapsulation stacks to deliver hospital-grade biosensing in skin-conformal devices.
Client
Consumer-Electronics Giant
Objective
Rank Stretchable-Circuit Solutions
Timeline
10-Week Program
Key Focus
Durability & Scalability
The Challenge: Hurdles to Mass Adoption
Ultra-thin, stretchable circuits that laminate to skin can stream continuous biometric data without straps or rigid housings. However, three linked hurdles slow mass adoption.
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Durability vs. Conductivity Trade-off: Conductive inks and meshes often crack under high strain, while more elastic conductors have higher resistance.
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Biocompatible Encapsulation: The protective film must block sweat and oxygen for 24+ hours of wear without trapping moisture or irritating the skin.
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Roll-to-Roll Yield: Printing micron-scale traces on long rolls with very low defect density is still a difficult, R&D-grade process.
The Outcome: Five Priority Stacks
Our analysis delivered five material-process stacks that met the durability target (<10% resistance change after 1,000 cycles) and biocompatibility needs.
- Ag-nanorod / PU acrylate mesh with high-speed photonic sintering.
- Self-healing PEDOT:PSS + graphene ink that recovers 90% of its resistance after cracking.
- Cu-Au nanomesh with vapor-phase TPU overcoat that survives 20 machine-wash cycles.
- Laser-cut serpentine Cu foil on SEBS for reliable integration of silicon ICs.
- All-printed Zn battery + NFC coil powering an ECG patch for 24 hours at a BOM of $0.28/cm².
Strategic Impact
The OEM approved a 50-meter pilot roll using the top-ranked Ag-nanorod mesh. The target is a commercial ECG and hydration patch line in 2028 with all-day comfort, hospital-grade signals, and mass-production economics, positioning the brand at the forefront of skin-conformal wearable tech.