SBIR/STTR Award attributes
To address the Armys requirement for an alternative energy harvesting capability, powering an integrated, small, disposable, wireless, adhesive medical sensor, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a Wearable Energy Harvester (WEHAR) patch. It is based on a rugged, flexible, fluidproof, stick-on design, integrated with dual energy harvesting modules, providing an alternative-energy-driven resource powering a wireless medical sensor placed on a patient. The innovative hardware design is the integration of an ultrathin, flexible layer of photovoltaic cell array and a flexible thermoelectric generator module to utilize both available body heat energy and that from surrounding light. The novel design allows multiple WEHAR modules to route charge to one wireless medical sensor, allowing it to operate for >72 hr. Thus, WEHAR directly addresses the Armys requirements for an alternative source of energy, augmenting or replacing existing batteries for medical sensors and extending their operating life. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the validity of the WEHAR design approach using a breadboard-level design, establishing a technology readiness level (TRL)-4. In Phase II, POC will build a ruggedized prototype for evaluation and field testing with medics and implement their recommendations for continued advanced development.
