Soft electronic devices that can acquire vital signs from the human body represent an important trend for healthcare. Combined strategies of materials design and advanced microfabrication allow the integration of a variety of components and devices on a stretchable platform, resulting in functional systems with minimal constraints on the human body. In this presentation, I will demonstrate a wearable multichannel patch that can sense a collection of signals from the human skin in a wireless mode. Additionally, integrating high-performance ultrasonic transducers on the stretchable platform adds a new third dimension to the detection range of conventional soft electronics. Ultrasound waves can penetrate the skin and noninvasively capture dynamic events in deep tissues, such as blood pressure and blood flow waveforms in central arteries and veins. This stretchable platform holds profound implications for a wide range of applications in consumer electronics, sports medicine, defense, and clinical practices.
Sheng Xu is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Nanoengineering at UC San Diego. He received his B.S. in Chemistry and Molecular Engineering from Peking University in Beijing, China, and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He worked as a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His group focuses on biointegrated electronics for health monitoring and human-machine interfaces. His research has been highlighted as “Groundbreaking Research in 2018” by Forbes, “12 innovations that will revolutionize the future of medicine” by National Geographic, and 2018 NIH- wide end-of-year review. He has been recognized by a number of awards, including the MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35, NIH NIBIB Trailblazer Award, NHLBI Technology Development Award, Wellcome Trust Innovator Award, 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award, and MRS Outstanding Young Investigator Award.