Display on a bandage-type monitoring device
A body-mountable device includes a flexible substrate configured for mounting to a skin surface. The flexible substrate is configured to be adhered or otherwise mounted to the skin in a manner that minimally impacts activities of the body. The device includes a flexible display configured to provide indications to a user, e.g., indications of sensor readings, medical alerts, or operational states of the device. The display could be operated on a very low power budget, e.g., the display could be operated intermittently. In some examples, the display could include an e-paper display or similar low power display elements. In some examples, elements of the display, e.g., electrodes of a multi-segment display, could be formed on the flexible substrate such that additional elements of the display, e.g., a layer of display medium and a layer of transparent conductor, could be adhered or otherwise attached to the formed elements.
1. A body-mountable device comprising:
a substrate, wherein the substrate is configured to be mounted to a skin surface;
a display having one or more display elements and disposed on the substrate, wherein the display comprises one or more electrodes disposed on the substrate, a transparent conductive layer, and a display medium disposed between the one or more electrodes and the transparent conductive layer, and wherein each electrode in the one or more electrodes corresponds to a respective display element of the one or more display elements of the display;
a sensor configured to detect a physiological property; and
a controller, wherein the controller is disposed on the substrate, wherein the controller is electrically coupled to the display and the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to perform controller operations comprising:
operating the sensor to detect the physiological property; and
operating the display to provide an indication related to the detected physiological property.
2. The body-mountable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor probe, wherein a first end of the sensor probe is attached to the flexible substrate, wherein a second end of the sensor probe is configured to extend beneath the skin surface to contact interstitial fluid, wherein the sensor is disposed at the second end of the sensor probe, and wherein the physiological property comprises a property of an analyte in the interstitial fluid.
3. The body-mountable device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a flexible substrate.
4. The body-mountable device of claim 1 , wherein the display is a multi-segment display, wherein the one or more electrodes disposed on the substrate comprise a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate, and wherein each electrode in the plurality of electrodes corresponds to a respective segment of the multi-segment display.
5. The body-mountable device of claim 1 , wherein the display further comprises a transparent flexible polymer layer, wherein the transparent flexible polymer layer is disposed on a side of the transparent conductive layer opposite the display medium, and wherein the transparent flexible polymer layer, the transparent conductive layer, and the display medium are attached to the flexible substrate and the one or more electrodes by a layer of adhesive.
6. The body-mountable device of claim 1 , wherein operating the display comprises applying a voltage between the transparent conductive layer and at least one electrode of the one or more electrodes, wherein the applied voltage is between 4 volts and 10 volts.
7. The body-mountable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a touch sensor, wherein the controller is electrically coupled to the touch sensor, and wherein the controller operations further comprise operating the touch sensor to receive an input.
8. The body-mountable device of claim 1 , further comprising a sealant layer, wherein the sealant layer encapsulates the display on the substrate.