Henkel and Linxens have announced a collaboration to drive the integration of advanced technologies for medical wearables based on printed electronics. As part of the collaboration the companies have developed a proof of concept to integrate self-regulating heating elements into medical wearable devices which significantly enhance the wear comfort for patients.

The partners launch this proof of concept in the healthcare market at the MEDICA trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany, from Nov. 11-14, 2024.

Henkel’s Loctite portfolio of functional inks includes conductive inks and paints as well as resistive and dielectric inks. These materials combined with four decades of formulation expertise enable the company´s ecosystem partners to develop printed electronics applications tailored to the specific properties demanded by industrial customers, with a growing focus on the medical and healthcare industry.

Linxens is a global leader in the electronics industry, providing customized component-based solutions to meet the most demanding technical specifications for connectivity, traceability and authentication.

Within the collaboration the company is leveraging its Roll-to-Roll (R2R) screenprinting technology for the development of highly complex and precise printed electronic designs. Printed electronics allows the production of flexible circuits screen printed on flexible foils such as PET, and with the converting onto a self-adhesive tape, it can be cut into the shape of a skin patch. As a result, the heating skin patch can be used in various healthcare and wellness contexts, such as for pain relief or temperature-controlled drug delivery.

Henkel is providing its expertise in the development of Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) inks ensuring optimal electrical performance of the self-regulating heating elements while maintaining the flexibility and adhesion required for skin-contact medical patches.

The company´s silver conductive inks and carbon resistive inks for creating micro-heaters are essential to the patch’s self-regulative heating capabilities.

“At Henkel, we strongly believe in the value of close collaborations to further unlock the enormous potential of printed electronics across industries,” said Pia Schmiedel, business development manager for printed electronics at Henkel. “Our collaboration with Linxens enables innovative approaches for the printed electronics technology in healthcare that help to significantly enhance the comfort for patients.”

“Through our collaboration with Henkel, we have developed an innovative proof of concept that incorporates heating elements into medical wearable devices, aimed at greatly enhancing patient comfort,” added Minh Lê, VP at Linxens Healthcare. “This solution represents a significant step forward in wearable technology, enabling designing of devices that positively impact patients’ quality of life by enhancing comfort during use.”