Motion-Adaptive Tessellated Skin Patches With Switchable Adhesion for Wearable Electronics

Abstract

Skin-interfaced electronics have emerged as a promising frontier in personalized healthcare. However, existing skin-interfaced patches often struggle to simultaneously achieve robust skin adhesion, adaptability to dynamic body motions, seamless integration of bulky devices, and on-demand, damage-free detachment. Here, a hybrid strategy that synergistically combines these critical features within a thin, flexible patch platform is introduced. This design leverages shape memory polymers (SMPs) arranged in a tessellated array, comprising both rigid and compliant SMPs. This configuration enables exceptional deformability, motion adaptability, and ultra-strong, repeatable skin adhesion while offering on-demand adhesion control. Furthermore, the design facilitates the seamless integration of bulky electronics without compromising skin adhesion. By incorporating sizeable electronics including signal acquisition circuits, sensors, and a battery, it is demonstrated that the proposed tessellated patch can be securely mounted on the skin, accommodate dynamic body motions, precisely detect physiological signals with an outstanding signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), wirelessly transmit data, and be effortlessly released from the skin. A multifunctional skin adhesive patch that strategically integrates heterogeneous phase change elements in a tessellated configuration is presented. This patch simultaneously provides remarkable skin adhesion, dynamic motion adaptability, the ability to integrate bulky electronics, on-demand damage-free detachment, low skin contact impedance, a high signal-to-noise ratio, and precise wireless health monitoring. image