A soft, flexible film senses the presence of nearby objects without physically touching them. The study features the new sensor technology to detect eyelash proximity in blink-tracking glasses.

The researchers began by simply fabricating a three-part system: fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) for the top sensing layer, with an electrically conductive film and flexible plastic base for the middle and bottom layers, respectively. Then they electrically charged the FEP-based sensor making it ready for use.

As objects approached the FEP surface, their inherent static charge caused an electrical current to flow in the sensor, thereby “feeling” the object without physical contact. The resulting clear and flexible sensor detected objects — made of glass, rubber, aluminum and paper — that were nearly touching it but not quite, from 2 to 20 mm (less than an inch) away. The sensor held its charge for over 3,000 different approach-withdraw cycles over almost two hours.

In a demonstration of the new sensing film, the researchers attached it to the inner side of an eyeglass lens. When worn by a person, the glasses noticed the approach of eyelashes and identified when the wearer blinked Morse code for “E C U S T,” the abbreviation for the researchers’ institution. (Image Credit: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2024)

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Topics:
Coatings, colorants and finishes Materials Medical Research and development Sensors and actuators Wearables

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    This article first appeared in the September, 2024 issue of Medical Design Briefs Magazine.

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