In-Ear Electronics with Mechanical Adaptability for Physiological Sensing

Abstract

Significant developments have been made in the field of wearable healthcare by utilizing soft materials for the construction of electronic sensors. However, the lack of adaptability to complex topologies, such as ear canal, results in inadequate sensing performance. Here, we report an in-ear physiological sensor with mechanical adaptability, which softens upon contact with the ear canal's skin, thus reducing the sensor-skin mechanical mismatch and interface impedance. An efficient strategy of mechanical adjustment and switching is exploited to increase the softness of the device, leading to a significant decrease in Young's modulus from 30.5 MPa of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) to 0.86 MPa of TPU/Ecoflex foam (TEF).The mechanical adaptability at body temperature endows the in-ear device improved device-canal contact area and interface stability. As a result, the TEF-based in-ear device demonstrates reliable sensing, low motion artifact, and high comfort in electroencephalography (EEG) and core body temperature sensing. High quality EEG signals of alpha, beta, delta, and gamma are measured during different activities. Moreover, the TEF-based in-ear device exhibits high reusability for over 4 months, which makes it suitable for long-term healthcare monitoring.