Christine Kallmayer of Fraunhofer IZM

There is increasing need for electronic medical devices covering a variety of applications ranging from wearable monitoring devices to smart catheters and bioelectronic medicines. Recently – especially developments in the areas of smart wound monitoring, theranostics devices and implantable brain-computer interfaces have gained momentum. Although the specific requirements for these applications are fundamentally different, all of them are and will be enabled by innovative flexible hybrid electronics solutions. Miniaturization and the use of new materials will allow im-proved functionality in thinner and smaller form factors for both medical-grade and consumer-grade-based health monitors, as well as implantable and other medical devices.  Current technology developments include printed electronics as well as high density thin film technologies and even combinations of these technologies. The use of ultrathin bare dies on or embedded in flexible and stretchable substrates allows unobtrusive wearable devices as well as miniaturized soft flexible implants. The heterogeneous integration of MEMS components, sensors RF interfaces, optical components and different approaches to wireless power supply will be key for the next generation of medical microsystems adapted to the human body. Medical applications have been a major driving force for the development of new substrate technologies- e.g. TPU, LCP or F2R together with adapted assembly processes. The presentations of this webinar will describe new approaches to electronic medical devices, materials, patterning and integration processes as well as the assessment of reliability challenges.  Thus, they will provide an overview over the current status as well as foreseeable trends and challenges.

Biography:

Christine Kallmayer received a diploma in experimental physics in 1994. Afterwards she worked as a research scientist at the research center for microperipheric technologies at the Technical University of Berlin. Her main field of activity was the development and investigation of interconnections using Au-Sn metallurgy. Since 1998 she is responsible for the group “System on Flex” at Fraunhofer IZM. The group is focused on flexible, stretchable and textile electronics. One of the main working areas is the development of new interconnection technologies. The group is also developing new flexible, stretchable and conformable substrate materials, e.g. based on thermoplastic polymers

Address:United States