VATIS UPDATE Article

Scientists from the Tsinghua University, China, have reported that they are using silk to develop a more sensitive and flexible generation of these multi-purpose devices that monitor a slew of body functions in real time. “There is a whole world of possibilities for silk sensors at the moment. Silk is the ideal material for fabricating sensors that are worn on the body,” said researcher Dr. Yingying Zhang.

Silk, a natural fibre that is stronger than steel and more flexible than nylon, could overcome these problems. As one of the most coveted fabrics in the world, the material is also lightweight and biocompatible. “One possibility we foresee is for them to be used as an integrated wireless system that would allow doctors to more easily monitor patients remotely so that they can respond to their medical needs more rapidly than ever before,” said Zhang.

However, the fibre doesn’t conduct electricity very well. To address this challenge, researchers sought to find a way to boost the conductivity of silk so it could be successfully used in body-sensing devices. The researchers decided to try two diverse strategies. In one method, they treated the silk in an inert gas environment with temperatures ranging from 1,112 °F to 5,432 °F. Consequently, the silk became infused with N-doped carbon with some graphitized particles, which is electrically conductive.