NFC-enabled, tattoo-like stretchable biosensor manufactured by “cut-and-paste” method

Abstract

The wearables industry is lacking in devices that have the ability to provide valuable biometrics data in a soft, wireless and disposable system. Such a system should be high performance, multifunctional, but battery-free and low cost. Near field communication (NFC) is a wireless communication protocol built in many smartphones nowadays that can read data from battery-free passive tags. As a result, NFC-enabled wearable biosensors have been reported, but they are either unstretchable or have to be manufactured by labor- and time-intensive photolithography and transfer-printing processes. Using a dry and freeform "cut-and-paste" method, we have built a wireless and low-cost stretchable biosensor that integrates temperature sensor, light source/sensor, NFC chip, and antenna. It is battery-free and can be laminated on any part of human skin like a temporary transfer tattoo. The sensor can fully follow the stretching and compression of skin without mechanical failure or delamination. Thus, it is imperceptible to wear and can perform high-fidelity sensing. Potential applications include, but are not limited to, skin thermography and photometry.