Like Kleenex for Wearables: A soft, strong and disposable ECG monitoring system

Although electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring systems have been available in the form of wearable patches for the better part of two decades, they are limited in their ability to be utilized as inexpensive, yet vital short-term measurement devices that are (truly) completely disposable. Advancing current practices in soft conformable electronics, we present a Bluetooth-enabled, fully disposable single-lead ECG patch comprising inkjet printed Ag-AgCl electrodes and components integrated on a single, flexible hybrid printed circuit board with an average current consumption of 3.6 mA from a 3.0 V stack of four flexible Lithium polymer batteries. As part of the Live Demonstration, our goals are to showcase the patch's functionality including real-time continuous ECG display and fall detection, and the flexible enclosures and adhesives conferring its unique softness, strength and disposability following a 7-day lifespan.