Micro-patterned graphene-based sensing skins for human physiological monitoring.

Ultrathin, flexible, conformal, and skin-like electronic transducers are emerging as promising candidates for noninvasive and nonintrusive human health monitoring. In this work, a wearable sensing membrane is developed by patterning a graphene-based solution onto ultrathin medical tape, which can then be attached to the skin for monitoring human physiological parameters and physical activity. Here, the sensor is validated for monitoring finger bending/movements and for recognizing hand motion patterns, thereby demonstrating its future potential for evaluating athletic performance, physical therapy, and designing next-generation human-machine interfaces. Furthermore, this study also quantifies the sensor's ability to monitor eye blinking and radial pulse in real-time, which can find broader applications for the healthcare sector. Overall, the printed graphene-based sensing skin is highly conformable, flexible, lightweight, nonintrusive, mechanically robust, and is characterized by high strain sensitivity.

Effect of serum, cholesterol and low density lipoprotein on the functionality and structure of lung surfactant films.

Lung surfactant is a complex mixture of lipid and protein, responsible for alveolar stability, becomes dysfunctional due to alteration of its structure and function by leaked serum materials in disease. Serum proteins, cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were studied with bovine lipid extract surfactant (BLES) using Langmuir films, and bilayer dispersions using Raman spectroscopy. While small amount of cholesterol (10 wt%) and LDL did not significantly affect the adsorption and surface tension lowering properties of BLES. However serum lipids, whole serum as well as higher amounts of cholesterol, and LDL dramatically altered the surface properties of BLES films, as well as gel-fluid structures formed in such films observed using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Raman-spectroscopic studies revealed that serum proteins, LDL and excess cholesterol had fluidizing effects on BLES bilayers dispersion, monitored from the changes in hydrocarbon vibrational modes during gel-fluid thermal phase transitions. This study clearly suggests that patho-physiological amounts of serum lipids (and not proteins) significantly alter the molecular arrangement of surfactant in films and bilayers, and can be used to model lung disease.

Spectral studies on the interaction of pinacyanol chloride with binary surfactants in aqueous medium.

Interaction of pinacyanol chloride (PIN) with pure and binary mixtures of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) was spectroscopically studied. Interaction of PIN with pure NaDC produced a blue shifted metachromatic band (at approximately 502 nm), which gradually shifted to higher wavelength region as the concentration of NaDC increased in the pre-micellar stage. For CTAB only intensity of both the bands increased without any shift. Mixed surfactant systems behaved differently than the pure components. Absorbance of monomeric band with a slight red-shift, and a simultaneous decrease in the absorbance of dimeric band of PIN, were observed for all the combinations in the post-micellar region. PIN-micelle binding constant (K(b)) for pure as well as mixed was determined from spectral data using Benesi-Hildebrand equation. Using the idea of Regular Solution Theory, micellar aggregates were assumed to be predominant than other aggregated state, like vesicles. Aggregation number was determined by fluorescence quenching method. Spectral analyses were also done to evaluate CMC values. Rubinigh's model for Regular Solution Theory was employed to evaluate the interaction parameters and micellar composition. Strong synergistic interaction between the oppositely charged surfactants was noted. Bulkier nature of NaDC lowered down its access in mixed micellar system.