Flexible device and method for manufacturing the flexible device and monitoring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025302438-A1
Application number	US-202519089073-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 25, 2025
Priority date	Mar 27, 2024
Publication date	Oct 2, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a flexible device. The flexible device includes a flexible sensing slice. The flexible sensing slice includes: a combination of an ultrasound sensor and at least one bioelectrical sensor. The at least one bioelectrical sensor is fabricated by processing a polyimide film using a laser with Laser-Induced Graphene (LIG) as a sensing material, and the ultrasound sensor is placed on the polyimide film. The flexible sensing slice further includes: a Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film encapsulating the combination of the ultrasound sensor and the at least one bioelectrical sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A flexible device, comprising a flexible sensing slice, wherein the flexible sensing slice comprises:
a combination of an ultrasound sensor and at least one bioelectrical sensor, wherein the at least one bioelectrical sensor is fabricated by processing a polyimide film using a laser with Laser-Induced Graphene (LIG) as a sensing material, and the ultrasound sensor is placed on the polyimide film; and a Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film encapsulating the combination of the ultrasound sensor and the at least one bioelectrical sensor.

2 . The flexible device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one bioelectrical sensor comprises multiple bioelectrical sensors in an array of rows and columns for measuring uterine contraction indexes;
wherein the ultrasound sensor comprises an ultrasonic transducer configured to measure a fetal heart rate.

3 . The flexible device according to claim 2 , wherein the multiple bioelectrical sensors comprise six electrohysterography (EHG) electrodes arranged in three rows and two columns for EHG signal reading and one reference EHG electrode for reference measurement;
wherein the one reference EHG electrode is arranged between two columns of the six EHG electrodes.

4 . The flexible device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to receive and process signals of the ultrasound sensor and the at least one bioelectrical sensor, wherein the controller comprises:
a flexible printed circuit board;
a microcontroller unit (MCU) formed on the flexible printed circuit board; and
top and bottom PDMS films encapsulating the flexible printed circuit board.

5 . The flexible device according to claim 4 , wherein the flexible sensing slice further comprises a first Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) component connected with the ultrasound sensor and the at least one bioelectrical sensor;
wherein the controller comprises: a second SPI component detachably connected with the first SPI component.

6 . The flexible device according to claim 5 , wherein the controller further comprises:
a transceiver configured to transmit measurement data of the ultrasound sensor and the at least one bioelectrical sensor to a terminal wirelessly; and a flexible battery connected with the second SPI component to provide power supply for the flexible sensing slice; wherein the transceiver and the flexible battery are printed on the flexible printed circuit board.

7 . The flexible device according to claim 3 , wherein each of the six EHG electrodes and the one reference EHG electrode has a ring shape.

8 . The flexible device according to claim 3 , wherein the two columns are arranged symmetrically with respect to a virtual line for connecting a center of the one reference EHG electrode and a center of the ultrasound electrode; and
wherein vertical spacing between adjacent EHG electrodes among the six EHG electrodes is equal.

9 . A method for manufacturing a flexible device, comprising:
fabricating at least one bioelectrical sensor in a flexible sensing slice of the flexible device by processing a polyimide film using a laser with Laser-Induced Graphene (LIG) as a sensing material, and reserving a space for an ultrasound sensor in the flexible sensing slice of the flexible device; placing the ultrasound sensor in the space; and placing a PDMS film to encapsulate the combination of the ultrasound sensor and the at least one bioelectrical sensor.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein before placing the ultrasound sensor in the space, the method further comprises:
pouring PDMS liquid on the polyimide film on which a pattern of the at least one bioelectrical sensor has been completed; exposing the polyimide film with the PDMS liquid poured; removing a PDMS layer from the polyimide film after being heated by a hot drying plate.

11 . The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
forming a flexible printed circuit board of a controller of the flexible device, wherein a microcontroller unit (MCU) is formed on the flexible printed circuit board; and placing top and bottom PDMS films to encapsulate the flexible printed circuit board.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein forming the flexible printed circuit board comprises:
coating a conductive material on a flexible substrate; applying a photoresist material on the flexible substrate, performing exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light through a photomask containing a desired circuit pattern; developing exposed photoresist material, and leaving a patterned photoresist resist layer that protects underlaying conductive traces formed from the conductive material; and attaching the MCU to the flexible substrate; and coating a protective layer on the flexible substrate.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
attaching a second Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) component to the flexible substrate.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
attaching a transceiver and a flexible battery to the flexible substrate, wherein transceiver is configured to transmit measurement data of the ultrasound sensor and the at least one bioelectrical sensor to a terminal wirelessly, and the flexible battery is connected with the second SPI component to provide power supply for the flexible sensing slice.

15 . A monitoring system comprising:
a flexible device, comprising a flexible sensing slice, wherein the flexible sensing slice comprises:
a combination of an ultrasound sensor and at least one bioelectrical sensor, wherein the at least one bioelectrical sensor is fabricated by processing a polyimide film using a laser with Laser-Induced Graphene (LIG) as a sensing material, and the ultrasound sensor is placed on the polyimide film; and
a Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film encapsulating the combination of the ultrasound sensor and the at least one bioelectrical sensor; and
a terminal configured to receive measurement data of the ultrasound sensor and the at least one bioelectrical sensor wirelessly.

16 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein the flexible device further comprises:
a controller configured to receive and process signals of the ultrasound sensor and the at least one bioelectrical sensor, wherein the controller comprises:
a flexible printed circuit board;
a microcontroller unit (MCU) formed on the flexible printed circuit board; and
top and bottom PDMS films encapsulating the flexible printed circuit board.

17 . The system according to claim 16 , wherein the controller further comprises:
a transceiver configured to transmit measurement data of the ultrasound sensor and the at least one bioelectrical sensor to the terminal wirelessly; and a flexible battery connected with a second SPI component in the controller to provide power supply for the flexible sensing slice; wherein the transceiver and the flexible battery are printed on the flexible printed circuit board.

18 . The system according to claim 17 , wherein the terminal comprises:
a data processing system configured to receive and analyze data from the controller; and a visual interface configured to display physiological curves of fetal heart patterns, or uterine contractions based on an analysis result of the data processing system.

19 . The system according to claim 18 , further comprising:
a cloud server configured to upload data to a cloud for data storage and analysis.

20 . The system according to claim 18 , furth

Assignees

• Wong Felix Wu Shun
• Univ City Hong Kong

Inventors

• Khoo Bee Luan
• Huang Ke
• Ma Zhiqiang
• Wong Felix Wu Shun

Classifications

• A61B2503/02

  Foetus · CPC title

• A61B8/488

  involving Doppler signals · CPC title

• A61B8/56

  Details of data transmission or power supply · CPC title

• A61B8/02

  Measuring pulse or heart rate · CPC title

• A61B8/4483

  characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer · CPC title