Irvine Sensors Corporation proposes an ultrathin, flexible, lightweight and unobtrusive Band-Aid-like electronic suitable for the analysis of fatigue, sleep disorders and other biomedical sensing applications. The proposed circuit would be affixed to the human eyebrow or temple to collect data from a small piezoelectric or coil-based sensor placed on the eyelid. Ultrafine wiring will connect the sensor to the data collection unit. A paperlike thin-film battery will provide power to the memory, A/D converter and sensor suite. A low-power RF unit will be used to communicate with a receiver worn on a belt. Research has demonstrated a correlation between eyelid activity and fatigue, loss of alertness and loss of vigilance. The proposed accurate, cost-effective, reliable ambulatory monitoring device would facilitate patient compliance in in-home and remote studies, contribute to the identification and treatment of undiagnosed sleep disorders and sleep loss and reduce the danger and cost of catastrophic accidents. The successful completion of the proposed effort will enable a revolutionary approach to electronic packaging. The proposed invention will have significant commercial application is the following broad categories of technology application: (1) conformal packaging; (2) space saving, (3) heat transfer enhancement; (4) capacitance reduction; and (5) environmental reliability.
