Multifunctional Wearable OLED-OPD System with Wavelength-Tunable Emission for Phototheranostics

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Wearable healthcare demands integrated sensing and light delivery.
• Conventional systems face limitations in space efficiency and flexibility.
• Need for compact, multifunctional optoelectronic platforms for noninvasive applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multifunctional wearable optoelectronic platform integrating diagnostic sensing and therapeutic light delivery.
• To overcome limitations of conventional systems using spatially separated light sources or rigid LEDs.
• To create a compact, flexible device for simultaneous physiological monitoring and phototherapy.

Main Methods:

• Integration of wavelength-tunable organic light-emitting diodes (WTOLEDs) with organic photodiodes (OPDs).
• Vertical stacking of red and blue OLEDs for polarity-dependent wavelength switching (624 nm and 464 nm).
• Area-efficient design with light-emitting region encircling the light-receiving element.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated dual-wavelength physiological monitoring using photoplethysmography (PPG).
• Enabled therapeutic applications: red-light photobiomodulation and blue-light bilirubin photodegradation.
• Achieved stable thermal and mechanical performance under wearable conditions.

Conclusions:

• Established a compact phototheranostic architecture for wavelength-selective sensing and therapy.
• The platform offers an area-efficient and flexible solution for integrated wearable healthcare.
• Validated the potential of WTOLEDs and OPDs for advanced noninvasive medical devices.