Course

Syllabus

Laboratory Work: 

• Simulation and fabrication of flexible sensors (e.g., resistive, capacitive) 
• Characterization of flexible substrates and electrodes 
• Bio-signal acquisition with a flexible patch and data analysis 
• Integration project: Design of a flexible wearable health monitor 

Unit 1

Introduction to Flexible Electronics Overview of flexible and stretchable electronics – Advantages and constraints in biomedical settings – Biocompatibility and mechanical requirements with key application areas: wearables, implants, e-skin, bio-patches. Materials for Flexible Biomedical Devices – Conductive polymers (e.g., PEDOT:PSS), organic semiconductors – Inorganic thin films on flexible substrates – Substrates: PDMS, PET, PI, hydrogels – Bioresorbable and biodegradable materials 

Unit 2

Device Modeling and Fabrication Techniques Fundamentals of field-effect transistors (FETs), strain sensors, and capacitive sensors – Bioelectric signal acquisition: ECG, EMG, EEG – Simulation tools: Multiphysics based ANSYS, TCAD, COMSOL. Fabrication Techniques – Printing technologies: inkjet, screen, aerosol jet – Transfer printing, roll-to-roll fabrication – Microfluidic integration and encapsulation – Cleanroom protocols and wearable-grade fabrication.

Unit 3

Interface Electronics, Signal Processing and System Integration Low-power amplifiers, ADCs for bio signals – Filtering, artifact rejection, and signal conditioning – Wireless communication: NFC, BLE, inductive coupling. System Integration and Powering – Flexible batteries, energy harvesting (triboelectric, piezoelectric) – System-on-foil concepts – Embedded microcontrollers for biomedical applications 

Unit 4

Applications and Case studies Smart bandages, wearable ECG/EEG, sweat sensors, electronic tattoos – Neural interfaces and implantable devices – Recent research papers and product teardowns.

Learning Objectives 

LO1: Understand and explain the structural foundations of flexible materials used in biomedical devices. 

LO2: Interpret device performance in terms of physical principles like piezoresistivity, bioimpedance, and capacitive sensing. 

LO3: Design and simulate flexible circuits for healthcare monitoring. 

LO4: Evaluate integration strategies for sensors, actuators, and readout circuits in biomedical systems. 

LO5: Analyze case studies and critically assess emerging flexible biomedical technologies. 

Course Outcomes 

CO1: Understand the principles and materials of flexible electronics. 

CO2: To provide hands-on experience in the design, simulation, and testing of flexible devices in biomedical context 

CO3: Analyze clinical applications, challenges, and emerging trends in flexible electronics. 

1. Flexible and Stretchable Electronics?by Takao Someya (Wiley) 
2. Bioelectronics: Principles and Applications?by Mark Meyyappan 
3. Wearable Bioelectronics O. Parlak, A. Salleo, A. Turner, 2020 Elsevier Ltd. 
4. Flexible Electronics: from Materials to Devices, Guozhen Shen, Zhiyong Fan, 2016 World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. 
5. Flexible Electronics: Materials and Applications (Electronic Materials: Science & Technology), W. S. Wong and A. Salleo, 2010 Springer 
6. Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction 8th, W. D. Callister, D. G. Rethwisch, 2010, Wiley. 
7. Selected journal articles from?Advanced Materials,?IEEE TBME,?ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, etc.