Breathing sensors built into onesie infant bodysuits could help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), where a sleeping infant suddenly stops breathing. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM in Berlin used an integrated sensor system made from a stretchable printed circuit board (PCB) that fits to the contours of the body built into a onesie. They say that it can be manufactured using routine industrial processes.
To demonstrate one of the many possible applications of the stretchable PCB, scientists fitted it with two commercially available sensors and ironed the whole system onto a romper suit. This allows them to monitor an infant’s breathing in the chest and stomach areas.
The circuit board is made of polyurethane (PU), a cost-efficient material commonly used for coating surfaces, as a sealant, or as a cushioning material.
Manuel Seckel, a scientist at the IZM said: "Components can be positioned on it just as precisely as on a standard board thanks to the stability of the stretchable substrate during processing. This stands in contrast to textile-based electronics, where one can expect an offset of up to five millimeters over a half-meter area."
To handle the stretchy PU PCBs, they developed a support system where they placed the boards and machine processed them before removing the support.
