Sensor technologies and energy harvesting for wearable and implantable electronics
The proliferation of wearable devices for monitoring wellness and healthcare is part of the broader shift from centralised, cloud-based, Internet of Things to more decentralised autonomous Edge computing devices, as a key enabler for the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” [1].
Of course, this transition means not only more ubiquitous smart systems but also more energy and computationally efficient hardware. personalised to the actual user needs
This also means more Edge devices gradually becoming portable and autonomous from the energy and data processing standpoints, so that they can be embedded into everyday objects, for either long-term operations at low duty cycle, as in the case of sensor networks, or with shorter lifetime, as for instance in the case of disposable electronics, smart labels, single-use sensors for personal diagnostics and others.
Printable sensors and electronic technologies are unique enablers of flexible, conformable, lightweight, skin-compliant, and bio-compatible integrated smart systems, for multiple applications in personalised diagnostics and therapeutic sectors. Solely powering autonomous IoT devices with batteries may not sustain the growing complexity and size of the IoT ecosystem as it proceeds to one trillion nodes. For that leveraging energy storage with ambient energy harvesting technologies might help mitigate the sustainability challenge.
Also, when it comes to sensors and electronics for data acquisition and processing, the design and development of ultra-low power printed electronic circuits and sensors, made of bio-compatible and eco-friendly materials and manufacturing processes, plays a critical role in managing the power budget at the system level, and reducing the burden of batteries and conventional electronics to the environment.
In this talk I will discuss design, advanced materials and heterogenous integration technology requirements for next generation wearable and implantable electronics, with attention to their sustainability and end-of-life.
Examples of our recent works in thin-film, organic and graphene-based wearable biosensors [2]-[4], energy harvesters and storage technologies [5]-[8], and ultra-low power printed electronics [9]-[10], flexible, stretchable and biocompatible substrates [11]-[13] will be presented that are suitable for integration in next generation wearable products.
References
[1] “State of the Edge 2021: A Market and Ecosystem Report for Edge Computing” (2021) The Linux foundation
[2] Prattis, I., Hui, E., Gubeljak, P., Kaminski Shierle, G. S., Lombardo, A., Occhipinti, L.G. (2021). Graphene for Biosensing Applications In Point-Of-Care Testing, Trends in Biotechnology 39(10): 1065-1077
[3] Lee, H., Harden-Chaters, W., Han, S. D., Zhan, S., Li, B., Bang, S. Y., Choi, H. W., Lee, S., Hou, B., Occhipinti, L. G., Kim, J. M. (2020). Nano-to-Microporous Networks via Inkjet Printing of ZnO Nanoparticles/Graphene Hybrid for Ultraviolet Photodetectors, ACS Appl. Nano Mater 3(5): 4454-4464.
[4] Aleeva, Y., Maira, G., Scopelliti, M., Vinciguerra, V., Scandurra, G., Cannata, G., Giusi, G., Ciofi, C., Figà, V., Occhipinti, L. G., Pignataro, B.G. (2018). Amperometric Biosensor and Front-End Electronics for Remote Glucose Monitoring by Crosslinked PEDOT-Glucose Oxidase. IEEE Sensors Journal, 18(12), 4869-4878.
[5] Pecunia, V., Occhipinti, L.G., Hoye, R.L.Z. (2021). Emerging Indoor Photovoltaic Technologies for Sustainable Internet of Things, Adv. Energy Mater. 11(29), 2100698.
[6] Huang, S., Kuang, H., Zou, T., Shi, L., Xu, H., Chen, J., Xuan, W., Occhipinti, L.G., Kim, J.M., Luo, J. (2021). Surface electrical properties modulation by multimode polarizations inside hybrid perovskite films investigated through contact electrification effect, Nano Energy 89, Part A, 106318
[7] Pecunia, V., Occhipinti, L. G., Chakraborty, A., Pan, Y., Peng, Y. (2020). Lead-Free Halide Perovskite Photovoltaics: Challenges, Open Questions and Opportunities, APL Materials 8(10)
[8] Peng, Y., Huq, T. N., Mei, J., Portilla, L., Jagt, R. A., Occhipinti, L. G., MacManus-Driscoll, J. L., Hoye, R. L. Z., Pecunia, V. (2021). Lead-Free Perovskite-Inspired Absorbers for Indoor Photovoltaics, Adv. Energy Mater. 11, 2002761
[9] Portilla, L., Zhao, Z., Zhao, J., Occhipinti, L.G., Pecunia, V. (2021). Ambipolar Carbon Nanotube Transistors with Hybrid Nanodielectric for Low-Voltage CMOS-like Electronics, Nano Futures 5, 025001
[10] Portilla, L., Zhao, J., Wang, Y., Sun, L., Li, F., Robin, M., Wei, M., Cui, C., Occhipinti, L. G., Anthopoulos, T. D., Pecunia, V. (2020). Ambipolar Deep-Subthreshold Printed-Carbon-Nanotube Transistors for Ultralow-Voltage and Ultralow-Power Electronics, ACS Nano 14(10): 14036–14046
[11] Criscuolo, V., Andreś Montoya, N., Lo Presti, N., Occhipinti, L.G., Netti, P.A., Vecchione, R., Falconi, C. (2020). Double-Framed Thin Elastomer Devices, ACS Appl. Mater. & Interfaces 12, 55255-55261
[12] Tan, E. K. W., Rughoobur, G., Rubio-Lara, J., Tiwale, N., Xiao, Z., Davidson, C. A. B., Lowe, C. R., Occhipinti, L. G. (2018). Nanofabrication of Conductive Metallic Structures on Elastomeric Materials. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 6607
[13] Giusto, E., Donegà, M., Dimitru, A. C., Foschi, G., Casalini, S., Bianchi, M., Leonardi, T., Russo, A., Occhipinti, L. G., Biscarini, F., Garcia, R., Pluchino S. (2017). Interfacing polymers and tissues: Quantitative local assessment of the Foreign Body Reaction of Mononuclear Phagocytes to Polymeric Materials. Advanced Biosystems, 1(4), 1700021
Of course, this transition means not only more ubiquitous smart systems but also more energy and computationally efficient hardware. personalised to the actual user needs
This also means more Edge devices gradually becoming portable and autonomous from the energy and data processing standpoints, so that they can be embedded into everyday objects, for either long-term operations at low duty cycle, as in the case of sensor networks, or with shorter lifetime, as for instance in the case of disposable electronics, smart labels, single-use sensors for personal diagnostics and others.
Printable sensors and electronic technologies are unique enablers of flexible, conformable, lightweight, skin-compliant, and bio-compatible integrated smart systems, for multiple applications in personalised diagnostics and therapeutic sectors. Solely powering autonomous IoT devices with batteries may not sustain the growing complexity and size of the IoT ecosystem as it proceeds to one trillion nodes. For that leveraging energy storage with ambient energy harvesting technologies might help mitigate the sustainability challenge.
Also, when it comes to sensors and electronics for data acquisition and processing, the design and development of ultra-low power printed electronic circuits and sensors, made of bio-compatible and eco-friendly materials and manufacturing processes, plays a critical role in managing the power budget at the system level, and reducing the burden of batteries and conventional electronics to the environment.
In this talk I will discuss design, advanced materials and heterogenous integration technology requirements for next generation wearable and implantable electronics, with attention to their sustainability and end-of-life.
Examples of our recent works in thin-film, organic and graphene-based wearable biosensors [2]-[4], energy harvesters and storage technologies [5]-[8], and ultra-low power printed electronics [9]-[10], flexible, stretchable and biocompatible substrates [11]-[13] will be presented that are suitable for integration in next generation wearable products.
References
[1] “State of the Edge 2021: A Market and Ecosystem Report for Edge Computing” (2021) The Linux foundation
[2] Prattis, I., Hui, E., Gubeljak, P., Kaminski Shierle, G. S., Lombardo, A., Occhipinti, L.G. (2021). Graphene for Biosensing Applications In Point-Of-Care Testing, Trends in Biotechnology 39(10): 1065-1077
[3] Lee, H., Harden-Chaters, W., Han, S. D., Zhan, S., Li, B., Bang, S. Y., Choi, H. W., Lee, S., Hou, B., Occhipinti, L. G., Kim, J. M. (2020). Nano-to-Microporous Networks via Inkjet Printing of ZnO Nanoparticles/Graphene Hybrid for Ultraviolet Photodetectors, ACS Appl. Nano Mater 3(5): 4454-4464.
[4] Aleeva, Y., Maira, G., Scopelliti, M., Vinciguerra, V., Scandurra, G., Cannata, G., Giusi, G., Ciofi, C., Figà, V., Occhipinti, L. G., Pignataro, B.G. (2018). Amperometric Biosensor and Front-End Electronics for Remote Glucose Monitoring by Crosslinked PEDOT-Glucose Oxidase. IEEE Sensors Journal, 18(12), 4869-4878.
[5] Pecunia, V., Occhipinti, L.G., Hoye, R.L.Z. (2021). Emerging Indoor Photovoltaic Technologies for Sustainable Internet of Things, Adv. Energy Mater. 11(29), 2100698.
[6] Huang, S., Kuang, H., Zou, T., Shi, L., Xu, H., Chen, J., Xuan, W., Occhipinti, L.G., Kim, J.M., Luo, J. (2021). Surface electrical properties modulation by multimode polarizations inside hybrid perovskite films investigated through contact electrification effect, Nano Energy 89, Part A, 106318
[7] Pecunia, V., Occhipinti, L. G., Chakraborty, A., Pan, Y., Peng, Y. (2020). Lead-Free Halide Perovskite Photovoltaics: Challenges, Open Questions and Opportunities, APL Materials 8(10)
[8] Peng, Y., Huq, T. N., Mei, J., Portilla, L., Jagt, R. A., Occhipinti, L. G., MacManus-Driscoll, J. L., Hoye, R. L. Z., Pecunia, V. (2021). Lead-Free Perovskite-Inspired Absorbers for Indoor Photovoltaics, Adv. Energy Mater. 11, 2002761
[9] Portilla, L., Zhao, Z., Zhao, J., Occhipinti, L.G., Pecunia, V. (2021). Ambipolar Carbon Nanotube Transistors with Hybrid Nanodielectric for Low-Voltage CMOS-like Electronics, Nano Futures 5, 025001
[10] Portilla, L., Zhao, J., Wang, Y., Sun, L., Li, F., Robin, M., Wei, M., Cui, C., Occhipinti, L. G., Anthopoulos, T. D., Pecunia, V. (2020). Ambipolar Deep-Subthreshold Printed-Carbon-Nanotube Transistors for Ultralow-Voltage and Ultralow-Power Electronics, ACS Nano 14(10): 14036–14046
[11] Criscuolo, V., Andreś Montoya, N., Lo Presti, N., Occhipinti, L.G., Netti, P.A., Vecchione, R., Falconi, C. (2020). Double-Framed Thin Elastomer Devices, ACS Appl. Mater. & Interfaces 12, 55255-55261
[12] Tan, E. K. W., Rughoobur, G., Rubio-Lara, J., Tiwale, N., Xiao, Z., Davidson, C. A. B., Lowe, C. R., Occhipinti, L. G. (2018). Nanofabrication of Conductive Metallic Structures on Elastomeric Materials. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 6607
[13] Giusto, E., Donegà, M., Dimitru, A. C., Foschi, G., Casalini, S., Bianchi, M., Leonardi, T., Russo, A., Occhipinti, L. G., Biscarini, F., Garcia, R., Pluchino S. (2017). Interfacing polymers and tissues: Quantitative local assessment of the Foreign Body Reaction of Mononuclear Phagocytes to Polymeric Materials. Advanced Biosystems, 1(4), 1700021
Prof. Luigi G. Occhipinti, PhD SMIEEE
Director of Research in Graphene and related technologies
Department of Engineering
University of Cambridge
United Kingdom
Dr Luigi Occhipinti has been managing research and innovation for over 25 years, encompassing multiple fields of engineering including sensors, biomedical devices, electronic design and manufacturing, advanced signal processing, AI and robotics, renewable energies, and nanomaterials.
Luigi is active both in academia and industry. After completing his PhD studies in 1995, he worked for over 18 years in the global semiconductor player SGS-Thomson Microelectronics (now STMicroelectronics), covering multiple roles in the organisation from team leader to group technical director, strategic alliances and R&D programs manager, with responsibility of teams located in Italy, France and Singapore.
Since 2014 he works at the University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering, where Luigi is currently the Director of Research in Graphene and Related Technologies and covering the role of Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Cambridge Graphene Centre.
Luigi is Senior member of IEEE, the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity, as well as member of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), the IEEE Electron Device Society (EDS), the American Chemical Society (ACS), the Materials Research Society (MRS), and sits in multiple advisory boards of multinational collaborative research programs, experts technology groups, and editorial boards of scientific journals and book series.
He also served in different standardisation committees, such as the IEEE P1620 on Organic Transistors and Materials, the IEEE P1620.1 on Organic Transistor-Based Ring Oscillators, the IEC/CEI CT105 on Fuel Cells technology, the IEC/CEI CT111 (Environmental Standardization for Electrical and Electronic Products and Systems), and the IEC/CEI CT113 (Nanotechnologies).
Luigi is the General Co-Chair of the IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems (FLEPS) 2022 and former Technical Programme Chair since the first edition in 2019. He is also Programme Committee Member and former Chair of the Innovations in Large-Area Electronics Conference and Exhibition (innoLAE) since 2015.
His research interests are centred around four strategic themes: i) Bioengineering and Healthcare medical devices, namely Smart Sensor Technologies and bio-electronics with main interests in on-body sensors, molecular diagnostics, advanced biosystems and implantable devices; ii) Complex, resilient and intelligent systems, with focus on Wireless wearable devices, Smart sensors and systems, Micro and Nano-manufacturing, Analogue and neuromorphic computing; iii) Stretchable and biodegradable electronics, focusing on Manufacturing, design and materials, Flexible Hybrid Integration of Multi-functional systems in bendable, stretchable and biocompatible substrates; iv) Energy, transport and urban infrastructure, including Large-Area Electronics, Energy harvesting, Autonomous Sensors & Systems.
The outcomes of his research and innovation are captured in over 130 scientific publications in journals and conference proceedings authored or co-authored by Luigi with over 5000 citations, 3 book chapters, and over 65 patents and patent applications in 45 different patent families and having Luigi as inventor or co-inventor (9 as sole inventor).
Director of Research in Graphene and related technologies
Department of Engineering
University of Cambridge
United Kingdom
Dr Luigi Occhipinti has been managing research and innovation for over 25 years, encompassing multiple fields of engineering including sensors, biomedical devices, electronic design and manufacturing, advanced signal processing, AI and robotics, renewable energies, and nanomaterials.
Luigi is active both in academia and industry. After completing his PhD studies in 1995, he worked for over 18 years in the global semiconductor player SGS-Thomson Microelectronics (now STMicroelectronics), covering multiple roles in the organisation from team leader to group technical director, strategic alliances and R&D programs manager, with responsibility of teams located in Italy, France and Singapore.
Since 2014 he works at the University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering, where Luigi is currently the Director of Research in Graphene and Related Technologies and covering the role of Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Cambridge Graphene Centre.
Luigi is Senior member of IEEE, the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity, as well as member of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), the IEEE Electron Device Society (EDS), the American Chemical Society (ACS), the Materials Research Society (MRS), and sits in multiple advisory boards of multinational collaborative research programs, experts technology groups, and editorial boards of scientific journals and book series.
He also served in different standardisation committees, such as the IEEE P1620 on Organic Transistors and Materials, the IEEE P1620.1 on Organic Transistor-Based Ring Oscillators, the IEC/CEI CT105 on Fuel Cells technology, the IEC/CEI CT111 (Environmental Standardization for Electrical and Electronic Products and Systems), and the IEC/CEI CT113 (Nanotechnologies).
Luigi is the General Co-Chair of the IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems (FLEPS) 2022 and former Technical Programme Chair since the first edition in 2019. He is also Programme Committee Member and former Chair of the Innovations in Large-Area Electronics Conference and Exhibition (innoLAE) since 2015.
His research interests are centred around four strategic themes: i) Bioengineering and Healthcare medical devices, namely Smart Sensor Technologies and bio-electronics with main interests in on-body sensors, molecular diagnostics, advanced biosystems and implantable devices; ii) Complex, resilient and intelligent systems, with focus on Wireless wearable devices, Smart sensors and systems, Micro and Nano-manufacturing, Analogue and neuromorphic computing; iii) Stretchable and biodegradable electronics, focusing on Manufacturing, design and materials, Flexible Hybrid Integration of Multi-functional systems in bendable, stretchable and biocompatible substrates; iv) Energy, transport and urban infrastructure, including Large-Area Electronics, Energy harvesting, Autonomous Sensors & Systems.
The outcomes of his research and innovation are captured in over 130 scientific publications in journals and conference proceedings authored or co-authored by Luigi with over 5000 citations, 3 book chapters, and over 65 patents and patent applications in 45 different patent families and having Luigi as inventor or co-inventor (9 as sole inventor).