A stetchable strain-sensing polymer fiber, devices made therewith, method of making stetchable strain-sensing polymer fiber
OwnerYujing ZHANG, Xiaoting JIAinventors
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Abstract
A stretchable polymer fiber can be used to form stretchable polymer fiber-based strain sensors. The stretchable polymer fiber-based strain sensors have a much larger strain range than existing stretchable polymer fiber-based strain sensors, good biocompatibility, and similar Young’s modulus as the human body. Woven into fabrics, the strain sensors can map the strain distribution at different locations and in different directions. The stretchable polymer fiber-based strain sensors can be implemented as resistance-based strain sensors, optical waveguide-based strain sensors, and as a combination of optical waveguide-based and resistance-based strain sensors.
Claims21
A strain sensor comprising:
- a stretchable polymer fiber;
- at least a first electrode disposed in or on the fiber and extending in a direction generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the fiber, wherein strain exerted on the fiber changes an electrical resistance of said at least a first electrode;
- and
- at least a first measurement instrument electrically coupled to said at least a first electrode, said at least a first measurement instrument measuring the change in electrical resistance and determining the strain exerted on the fiber based at least in part on the measured change in resistance.
A strain sensor comprising:
- a stretchable optical waveguide comprising:
- a stretchable polymer fiber comprising a core and at least a first cladding, the core comprising a stretchable polymer having a first refractive index, the stretchable polymer having a stretchability that is greater than or equal to 150%, the first cladding surrounding the core and comprising a stretchable polymer having a second refractive index that is lower than the first refractive index such that the core and said at least a first cladding comprise an optical waveguide that concentrates a majority of light transmitted along the fiber in the core, the stretchable polymer of the first cladding having a stretchability that is greater than or equal to 150%, wherein strain exerted on the fiber changes an optical transmission loss of the light transmitted along the fiber;
- and
- at least a first measurement instrument optically coupled to the stretchable optical waveguide, said at least a first measurement instrument measuring the change in optical transmission loss and determining the strain exerted on the fiber based at least in part on the measured change in optical transmission loss.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.