In a recent study published in the journal Nano-Micro Letters, researchers from China developed a polymer-based hierarchically multifunctional polyimide composite film comprising of layers of 61.0 weight% graphene oxide/expanded graphite, 23.8 weight% ferric oxide/polyimide, and polyimide fibers to be used as a flexible, heat-dissipating, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding film for electronic devices.
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IMAGE: The wearable transmitter is designed to compress its top layer in a double arch pattern, shown here, to respond to movement without compromising signal transmission. view more
Credit: Huanyu Cheng, Penn State
Current research on flexible electronics is paving the way for wireless sensors that can be worn on the body and collect a variety of medical data. But where do the data go? Without a similar flexible transmitting device, these sensors would require wired connections to transmit health data.
Huanyu Larry Cheng, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Assistant Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics in the Penn State College of Engineering, and two international teams of researchers are developing devices to explore the possibilities of wearable, flexible antennae. They published two papers in April in Nano-Micro Letters and
Electrochemical Sensors for Targeting Salivary Biomarkers
Image Credit: Fusionstudio / Shutterstock.com
Why analyze saliva?
One of the most common methods used to assist in a clinical diagnosis is blood analysis, which typically requires the collection of several microliters (µl) or milliliters (ml). The collection of blood samples requires the use of an invasive blood collection procedure that not only requires skilled personnel but can also be inconvenient and painful for the patient.
Comparatively, a saliva sample is collected through a non-invasive and convenient technique, thus reducing the amount of stress put on the patient during its collection. These advantages also allow clinicians to easily obtain multiple samples at a more frequent and rapid rate while simultaneously reducing the potential risk of contaminating the sample during its collection.