Mark Poliks | Binghamton University: Can chemical sterilization actually improve the electrical performance of a wire-based pH sensor?
00:12:36 - 00:14:30
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Summary of the clip:
Can chemical sterilization actually improve the electrical performance of a wire-based pH sensor?
When designing reusable biomedical sensors, materials must survive aggressive chemical disinfection cycles. To achieve a highly robust pH sensor, researchers developed an electrochemical design utilizing miniature silver and platinum-iridium wire electrodes (250 microns in gauge). These micro-wires serve as the working and reference electrodes, bypassing the degradation vulnerabilities of screen-printed or aerosol-jet printed thick films.
Surprisingly, experimental testing revealed that repeated sterilization cycles—using UV-ozone, hydrogen peroxide, and strong surfactants—did not degrade the electrochemical interface. Instead, the sterilization process cleaned the electrode surface, resulting in an enhanced and more stable sensor signal response. This counterintuitive finding makes micro-wire integration a superior choice over printed inks for high-use medical instruments.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The materials and dimensions of a robust micro-wire electrochemical pH sensor.
* Why traditional micro-wires outperform printed thick-film inks under aggressive sterilization.
* How UV-ozone and hydrogen peroxide treatments can clean electrode surfaces to improve sensor signal-to-noise ratio.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This segment discusses the transition from printed pH sensors to robust silver and platinum-iridium micro-wire electrodes. It highlights the surprising finding that aggressive chemical and UV sterilization cycles actually clean the sensor interfaces and improve overall performance.
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#PlatinumIridiumMicroWires, #ElectrochemicalpHSensors, #UVOzoneSterilization, #MicroWireElectrodes, #BiomedicalSensors, #ReusableMedicalDevices
This is a highlight of the presentation:
Smart, Reusable Catheter System for Longitudinal Urinary Monitoring at the Point of Care
Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA 2026
10-11 June 2026
Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California, USA
Organised By:
TechBlick
More Highlights from the same talk.
00:05:38 - 00:07:01
How do you package hair-thin wires and resistive sensors inside a 5mm reusable catheter tip?
How do you package hair-thin wires and resistive sensors inside a 5mm reusable catheter tip?
Integrating multiple physical sensors into an ultra-thin medical catheter presents extreme packaging and assembly challenges. At the catheter's tip, a resistive sensing element for pressure must be integrated alongside fine-wire thermistors for high-resolution temperature tracking. These components are secured using custom UV-curable resins and specialized interconnect methods developed to withstand harsh clinical environments.
The electrical assembly relies on micro-wires as thin as human hair, which require precise micro-soldering and embedding techniques to maintain a low profile. For high-volume manufacturing, these wires are co-extruded directly within the thermoplastic elastomer catheter wall. This co-extrusion approach protects the signal lines without increasing the outer diameter of the device.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The structural layout of micro-sensors at the tip of a multi-parameter diagnostic catheter.
* Micro-assembly techniques for integrating hair-thin wire interconnects and thermistors.
* How co-extrusion in the catheter wall prevents signal degradation and maintains mechanical flexibility.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This clip details the micro-packaging and sensor integration architecture at the tip of a smart urinary catheter. It explores how resistive pressure elements, thermistors, and hair-thin wires are securely embedded within the device's wall.
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#MicroPackaging, #CatheterCoExtrusion, #MicroWireInterconnects, #FlexibleMedicalElectronics, #SmartCatheters, #MedTechHardware
00:02:35 - 00:02:42
How does the all-printed electrode design impact the sensitivity and long-term stability of the sodium and potassium measurements?
How does the all-printed electrode design impact the sensitivity and long-term stability of the sodium and potassium measurements?
The speaker highlights a sweat hydration patch capable of sensing both sodium and potassium using an all-printed electrode. This is differentiated from other devices, such as those from Epicor/Viator Ray, by its intended use as a medical-grade device. The patch also measures sweat volume over time through the dissolution of carbon resistors.
The design aims for a lightweight, wearable form factor, with the electronics tethered separately. This separation is intended to maintain the device's classification as a medical-type device. The speaker emphasizes the collaboration with various parties and demonstrations conducted with the Air Force Research Lab and Air Force Academy.
The development of this sweat hydration patch represents an advancement in wearable sensor technology, enabling real-time monitoring of key electrolytes and sweat volume. The use of printed electronics facilitates a cost-effective and scalable manufacturing process, potentially leading to widespread adoption in medical and sports applications.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The patch uses all-printed electrodes to measure sodium and potassium levels in sweat.
* Sweat volume is measured through the dissolution of carbon resistors.
* The device is designed as a lightweight, wearable medical-grade patch.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This segment introduces a sweat hydration patch capable of measuring sodium, potassium, and sweat volume using printed electrodes and carbon resistors. The device is designed for medical applications and has been tested in collaboration with the Air Force.
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#PrintedElectrodes, #IonSensing, #ElectrolyteMonitoring, #Biosensors, #WearableTech, #MedicalDevices
00:10:25 - 00:11:58
How do you design a flexible, wrap-around pH sensor for cylindrical medical devices?
How do you design a flexible, wrap-around pH sensor for cylindrical medical devices?
Developing chemical sensors for curved, flexible substrates like catheters requires a deep understanding of flexible hybrid electronics (FHE). Researchers engineered an all-printed pH sensor using a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrate pattern. This substrate was printed with functional silver/silver-chloride (Ag/AgCl) and carbon inks, utilizing a strain-relieved geometric pattern designed to wrap around cylindrical surfaces.
The resulting wrap-around sensor operates as a fully integrated working and reference electrode pair. Electro-analytical evaluation confirmed that despite the mechanical strain of wrapping, the printed sensor retains a highly linear potential response across various pH levels. This demonstrates the viability of utilizing flexible thick-film printing techniques to add complex multi-parameter diagnostic capabilities directly to existing medical device profiles.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The design of strain-relieved printed patterns for cylindrical and flexible medical substrates.
* Formulation of functional Ag/AgCl and carbon inks on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrates.
* Electrochemical characterization of a wrapped printed pH sensor under active mechanical deformation.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This clip highlights the design and evaluation of an all-printed, flexible pH sensor wrapped around a cylindrical catheter substrate. It examines how strain-relieved TPU patterns and functional inks can maintain a linear electrochemical response despite mechanical curvature.
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#PrintedpHSensors, #StrainRelievedPatterns, #AgAgClInks, #CatheterSensors, #FlexibleHybridElectronics, #WearableMedicalDevices