Stretchable wireless device

• US 9,632,533 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2014
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivalnk Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vivalnk Inc.
• Inventors: Li, Jiang, Mei, Junfeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Semenenko, Yuriy
• Application Number:
  US14/511,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20160028153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/00 Devices for applying media, e.g. remedies, on the human body devices for handling toiletry or cosmetic substances A45D; absorbent pads, e.g. swabs, A61F13/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0283 Stretchable printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0313 Organic insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/142 Arrangements of planar printed circuit boards in the same plane, e.g. auxiliary printed circuit insert mounted in a main printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/148 Arrangements of two or more hingeably connected rigid printed circuit boards, i.e. connected by flexible means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/183 Components mounted in and supported by recessed areas of the printed circuit board

Abstract

A wearable patch capable of wireless communications includes an adhesive layer, and a shearable circuit layer comprising a support substrate comprising one or more openings on the adhesive layer, wherein the one or more openings in the support substrate are so positioned to allow the shearable circuit layer to be sheared and elongated, and breathable. A conductive circuit is embedded in the support substrate. One or more semiconductor chips are in connection with the conductive circuit. An elastic layer is positioned on the shearable circuit layer. The one or more semiconductor chips and the conductive circuit can wirelessly communicate with an external device.

Claims

1. A method for making a stretchable wireless device, comprising:

obtaining a continuous sheet of a polymeric material that comprise polyimide, polyester, aramid, glass epoxy, or polyethylene naphalate, wherein the continuous sheet of the polymeric material comprises portions respectively for formations of flexible ribbons and a plurality of support substrates;

removing materials from the continuous sheet of the polymeric material in a single manufacturing step to form the plurality of support substrates and flexible ribbons;

embedding first conductive circuits in the plurality of support substrates;

mounting one or more semiconductor chips in connection with the first conductive circuit to form a plurality of circuit modules each associated with one of the plurality of substrates;

embedding second conductive circuits in the flexible ribbons, the second circuits connected with at least two of the first conductive circuits to form a network of circuit modules, wherein the plurality of circuit modules and the second circuits are configured to wirelessly communicate with an external device, wherein the plurality of circuit modules and the flexible ribbons embedded with the second conductive circuits form a support substrate structure;

forming an adhesive layer below the support substrate structure; and

forming an elastic layer on the support substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of removing materials from the continuous sheet of the polymeric material comprises:

cutting the continuous sheet of material with a die or with a laser.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of removing materials from the continuous sheet of the polymeric material comprises:

forming one or more openings in the flexible ribbons and the plurality of circuit modules to allow the shearable circuit layer to be stretchable and breathable.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible ribbons have curly or serpentine shapes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of support substrates have a Young'"'"'s Modulus higher than 0.5 Gpa, wherein the elastic layer has a Young'"'"'s Modulus lower than 0.3 Gpa.