Micromachines (Apr 2023)

Creating Stretchable Electronics from Dual Layer Flex-PCB for Soft Robotic Cardiac Mapping Catheters

  • Abdellatif Ait Lahcen,
  • Alexandre Caprio,
  • Weihow Hsue,
  • Cory Tschabrunn,
  • Christopher Liu,
  • Bobak Mosadegh,
  • Simon Dunham

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14040884
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 4
p. 884

Abstract

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The authors present in this study the development of a novel method for creating stretchable electronics from dual-layer flex printed circuit boards (flex-PCBs) as a platform for soft robotic sensor arrays (SRSAs) for cardiac voltage mapping applications. There is a crucial need for devices that utilize multiple sensors and provide high performance signal acquisition for cardiac mapping. Previously, our group demonstrated how single-layer flex-PCB can be postprocessed to create a stretchable electronic sensing array. In this work, a detailed fabrication process for creating a dual-layer multielectrode flex-PCB SRSA is presented, along with relevant parameters to achieve optimal postprocessing with a laser cutter. The dual-layer flex-PCB SRSA’s ability to acquire electrical signals is demonstrated both in vitro as well as in vivo on a Leporine cardiac surface. These SRSAs could be extended into full-chamber cardiac mapping catheter applications. Our results show a significant contribution towards the scalable use of dual-layer flex-PCB for stretchable electronics.

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