Date of Award

Spring 2024

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2024

Department

Bioengineering

First Advisor

Emre Araci

Abstract

This senior design project aimed to develop a skin phantom suitable for testing electrophysiological wearable devices. Our skin phantom consisted of a porous paper PDMS as the epithelial layer, initially paired with agarose gel as the tissue layer, and later with gelatin based on comparative analysis. Through rigorous experimentation and leveraging data from the IT’IS Foundation’s interactive database, we identified that gelatin exhibited superior electrical properties compared to agarose, making it a more effective medium for replicating human tissue. Our work not only validated the use of paper PDMS with both agarose and gelatin but also demonstrated that gelatin's lower impedance enhances the efficiency of electrical signal transmission.

The results of this project have potential to make an impact in the field of electrophysiological wearable technology development. We were able to create a skin-tissue phantom that considers electromagnetic properties critical for realistic device testing and tune these properties by changing their fabrication parameters. By showing that paper PDMS works effectively with gelatin, we provided a viable alternative for future skin phantom constructions. This advancement ensures that electrophysiological devices can be tested under conditions that closely mimic real human skin, thereby improving their reliability, performance, and safety in real-world applications.

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