Medical Wearables Murata Extends PCB Capabilities

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Stretchable Printed Circuit (SPC) opens new possibilities for developers of medical wearables. This flexible, adaptive PCB technology conforms to body contours to monitor vital signs reliably. The circuit board, along with its assembled components and connections, is engineered to withstand mechanical stress caused by stretching.

Murata experts have developed the Stretchable Printed Circuit (SPC), a flexible, stretchable circuit board technology that marks an important advancement in PCB development. This stretchable circuit board is designed primarily for medical applications, such as wearable therapeutic devices and continuous vital sign monitoring systems.
 In medical technology, there is an increasing focus on continuous, high-precision diagnosis and monitoring of vital signs in daily life to improve early detection and prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. Wearables for vital sign monitoring are now widespread; however, the rigid materials of previous devices have led to drawbacks, such as limited comfort, insufficient skin contact, or unstable measurements.
 Murata’s SPC technology offers crucial advantages due to its flexibility and stretchability. It adapts easily to the body’s contours, making it suitable for various body regions and patient groups—including previously hard-to-reach areas, such as elbows or knees. Due to these properties, the SPC is ideal for medical devices like EEGs, EMGs, and EKGs. According to the manufacturer, the layer thickness is approximately 100 µm per layer.

Circuit Board Expands Like a Telescope

Another feature of Murata's SPC technology is its ability to print stretchable electrodes. These comply with ANSI/AAMI-EC12 standards, ensuring reliable signal transmission and noise reduction. Murata describes this as "telescopic component assembly" with hybrid connection techniques between substrates, allowing the board to expand or contract like a telescope.
 In SPC-based stretchable circuit boards, mounted components and their connections are designed to withstand mechanical strain from stretching. Flexible, adaptive connections accommodate shape changes, ensuring a stable connection and reliable function under varying mechanical conditions. A special shielding layer blocks electromagnetic interference, and an ion-suppressing layer prevents short circuits in humid environments.
 Even under extreme conditions like high humidity and voltage, SPC boards demonstrate high reliability, giving electronics developers added flexibility in component placement and design.

Integrating Filters, Amplifiers, and Sensors

Murata experts provide tailored solutions and support product development through an extensive resource network. Product designers can leverage the flexible adaptability of SPCs (Stretchable Printed Circuits) to optimize their concepts. Based on client requirements, a single SPC board can integrate filters, amplifiers, and various sensors, enabling precise monitoring and analysis of multiple parameters in a compact space. Murata supports the entire development process—from custom design and prototype manufacturing to testing in diverse environments and scaling up for mass production. (heh)