The human arsenal, as we know, has always been a little on the loaded side, but if we are being honest, there is nothing more valuable in it than our tendency of growing on a consistent basis. This tendency, in particular, has allowed us to hit upon some huge milestones, with technology appearing as a major member of the stated squad. The reason why technology enjoys such an esteemed stature among people is largely down to its skill-set, which introduced us to all the possibilities that we couldn’t have imagined otherwise. Nevertheless, a closer look would reveal how the whole runner was also very much predicated upon the way we applied those skills across a real-world setting. The latter component was, in fact, what gave the creation a spectrum presence, including a timely appearance on our healthcare block. Technology’s linkup with healthcare was so perfect in regards to the timing because it came right when the sector was beginning to struggle against its own obsolete structure. This reality, fortunately enough, went through a complete overhaul under the new regime, but even after achieving so much, the emerging medtech concept will somehow continue to produce all the right goods. The same has turned more and more evident over the recent past, and a new development should do a lot to keep that trend alive and kicking.
The researching team at Caltech has successfully developed a technique, which can be used for coating electronic circuits of medical wearables with graphene, and consequentially, enhance their durability on folding, while also improving their resistance to sweat. According to certain reports, the technique involves using a plasma ray and methane gas as a carbon source. The stated plasma causes methane to dissociate into reactive species, and from there, the resulting carbon becomes ready to get deposited on to the surface of various electronic components. Graphene has long been touted as a way to protect flexible wearables from excessive strain, but to make it work alongside those miniscule parts, you need to create a high temperature environment and bring in some harsh chemicals, two things that can actually go on to have a devastating impact on the device’s wider functionality. However, the technique in question doesn’t require you to enlist any of these extreme-natured elements, therefore offering the wearable industry a convenient shot at better durability.
“Flexible and wearable electronics can be made of soft materials like polymers that can’t sustain high temperatures,” said Chen-Hsuan Lu, a researcher involved in the study. “Our method allows us to grow graphene directly on the substrates at a low temperature, preventing any damage to sensitive materials.”
The researchers have even tested their approach by folding the relevant components repeatedly. Going by the available details, the graphene-coated components were folded 200,000 times without failure, whereas components that were not coated failed after about 20,000 cycles. Beyond that, the new graphene layer was also able to protect devices from all the damage caused by coming and staying in contact with human sweat.
