Soft and Stretchable Sensor Using Biocompatible Electrodes and Liquid for Medical Applications

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Soft and stretchable sensors are crucial for advanced medical devices, particularly in minimally invasive surgery.
• Existing sensors often face challenges with biocompatibility and durability under mechanical stress.
• Developing integrated, biocompatible sensing solutions is essential for enhancing the functionality of flexible medical instruments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel soft and stretchable sensor with a liquid-filled channel and biocompatible electrodes.
• To demonstrate the sensor's ability to measure mechanical strain through changes in electrical resistance.
• To validate the sensor's performance and discuss its integration into surgical manipulators.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a silicone rubber sensor with an integrated conductive liquid channel (sodium chloride solution).
• Incorporation of novel stretchable gold sputtered electrodes to ensure biocompatibility.
• Experimental validation of sensor resistance changes in response to applied strain.

Main Results:

• The sensor demonstrated a measurable change in electrical resistance directly correlated with applied strain.
• Experimental results closely matched theoretical predictions with minimal hysteresis.
• The sensor prototype achieved reliable performance up to a maximum tested strain of 64%.

Conclusions:

• The developed sensor, integrating a biocompatible NaCl solution and stretchable gold electrodes, offers a fully biocompatible solution for deformation measurement.
• This technology is well-suited for integration into soft and stretchable medical instruments, particularly flexible surgical manipulators.
• The sensor represents a significant advancement in creating robust and reliable sensing capabilities for next-generation medical devices.