Abstract Example 1 Carol Akpan
Flexible Graphene Interdigitated Strain Sensor for Early Diagnosis of Deep Vein Thrombosis
Carol Akpan1, Nafize Ishtiaque Hossain2, and Shawana Tabassum2
1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Prairie View A&M University; 2 Department of Electrical
Engineering, the University of Texas at Tyler
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in the deep veins in our body, usually in the
legs. This condition can be life-threatening when the blood clots lodge in the lungs. Currently, diagnosis
of DVT relies on its symptoms, which can be like other health problems or occur very late. As a result,
there is no way to detect DVT early and hence prevent the resulting complications. In this regard, to
narrow the diagnostic gap of DVT, we have designed and developed a flexible strain sensor that can be
integrated into a compression stocking for early diagnosis of DVT. The sensor is made of a pair of
interdigitated graphene electrodes screen-printed on 127-micron thick stretchable parafilm. The sensor is
of the size of a quarter. Our sensor is unique because we used a low-cost screen-printing technique to
fabricate it, thereby enabling roll-to-roll production. The sensor was first characterized by mounting it on
a finger and measuring the capacitance variations in response to bending motions of the finger. The
sensor exhibited high sensitivity to finger bending as well as a good reversibility. The sensor also
monitored repetitive finger tapping and the capacitance value of the sensor decreased. The sensor was
responsive to pulse in the ankle, where we envision to deploy the sensor. In summary, our results support
future deployment of the developed strain sensor on ankle or integration with a compression stocking for
real-time monitoring of pulse rate in the legs, thereby enabling early diagnosis of DVT.
Acknowledgment: Shawana Tabassum, Department of Electrical Engineering, the University of Texas at
Tyler; Funded by the Houston Community College Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation.
