Graphene wireless electronics devices can be printed directly onto human skin. This creates an in-body communication system according to scientists at the University of Manchester, England. They add that graphene, the world’s lightest, thinnest and hardest material, and wearable devices are compatible. Flexible graphene communication technology that can be printed on clothing or human skin, such as healthcare monitors, and mobile phones, would transform medical care and communications. The breakthrough was described by Dr. Zhirun H, the University of Manchester School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering team leader and his colleagues in Scientific Reports. Because graphene is flexible and extremely conductive, they claim that it could prove vital for wearable electronic applications. According to Dr. Hu, this research could lead to smart and battery-free healthcare monitoring and wireless phone connectivity. There could be hundreds of uses for graphene electronic devices. (Image: www.manchester.ac.uk) For example, printed graphene sensors integrated with other 2-dimensional materials could be stuck onto a patient’s skin to monitor his or her moisture levels, temperature and degrees of strain. Here are some examples: A hospital setting: A patient might wear a graphene RFID tag (radio frequency identification system) on their arm. This tag could be integrated with 2D materials and sense heartbeats and temperature of the patient and transmit the information back to the reader. The wireless monitoring of patients would make it possible for medical staff to provide care that is much more efficient. The Care Home setting: A care home could have graphene printed sensors that are battery-free and can be attached to the clothing of older residents. The sensors can detect the health status of elderly persons and transmit the information back to monitoring access points. Remote healthcare would be possible and this could improve the quality of your life. The ultra-conductive graphene material is inexpensive. Currently, the materials that are used to make wearable devices, like silver nanoparticles or conductive polymers, are too expensive. Graphene is the strongest, thinnest, and most conductive material that we are aware of. Graphene is an ideal material for wearables because it has a wide variety of exceptional qualities. Source: Scientific Reports. The graphene conductive paint can be easily printed on clothing and paper. Sir Kostya Novakova, Professor of Physics at University of Manchester, stated: “To see that cheap and scalable wearable communications devices are on the Horizon is excellent news for graphene industrial applications.” The team used graphene to create transmission lines and antennas and then experimented in wireless connectivity devices such as mobile and wifi. A graphene-enabled communication system was created by attaching antennas to each arm of the mannequin. The devices were able to ‘talk’ with each other and create a communications system at the surface of the body. The graphene-enabled parts demonstrated the functionality and quality required to make wireless devices. It is possible now to heat treat graphene-enabled components at low temperatures so it can be used with flexible, heat-sensitive materials such as paper and textiles. Dr. Hu stated that graphene is an amazing new material. It is now possible to process the graphene at low temperatures so that it is compatible with heat-sensitive flexible materials like paper and textiles. Graphene is a new amazing material. It’s a single-layer of carbon atoms. These atoms are placed in a hexagonal six-sided lattice arrangement. This is the strongest known material, about 207 stronger than steel. It’s also the lightest and thinnest substance in the world. Graphene research is still 10 year old. Think about how many graphene products there will be in the next 10 years. Scientists consider it a 2-dimensional object because of its thinness. Researchers believe it holds unlimited potential in the fields of industry, medicine, and hi-tech. Graphene has remarkable electrical and thermal conductivity. It’s unique because graphene is extremely strong, ultra-thin and flexible. There are many potential uses for it, including super-thin display screens, chemical and industrial processes, as well as other optoelectronic devices, solar cells, electric circuits, lithium batteries, hydrogen storage, and many other applications. Citation: “Highly Flexible & Conductive Printed Graphene For Wireless Wearable Communications Applications,” Xianjun Hong, Ting Leeng, Mengjian Zhu and Xiao Zhang. KuoHsin Chen, Mohammed Aqeeli. Andre K. Geim. Kostya Novoselov & Zhirun Huang. Scientific Reports 5, Article number 18298. December 17, 2015. DOI: 10.1038/srep18298. Video – Graphene
