Case study — Medical Wearable — 2017
Medical Wearable Design
CareWear photobiomodulation — wearable light therapy patches with disposable hydrogels.
- Must Have - Extremely thin and highly flexible reusable light patch
- Must Have - Disposable hydrogel contact layer for clean reuse
- Must Have - A wireless waterproof, removable, rechargeable precise dosage controller
- Must Have - Intuitive, minimal operator interaction
- Must Have - Comfortable and secure across the full wear window
- Must Have - Uniform light delivery across the treatment area
- 5M
- Cycle life
- 185 g
- Actuation
- -23%
- Cost change
- 2018
- Program year
The design began by deliberately….. placing each light energy group of four dosage-balanced zones outside of the Clover light patches' extreme flex zones.
Overview
A wearable that purposely conforms to the human
The CareWear Clover patch needed to be specifically designed to conform directly against the skin in order to ensure that the proper dosage of light was being delivered. It had to stay conformable, comfortable and secure through the full wear window, while the disposable hydrogel kept each treatment clean — all wrapped in a form that read as a consumer wearable, not a clinical instrument.
Stack-up
A conformable stack tuned for skin and light.
A medical-grade hydrogel, a printed light-emitting layer, a flexible interconnect and a breathable adhesive backing form a thin, skin-safe assembly. Every layer was specified against biocompatibility and wear-comfort targets.
- DISPOSABLE MEDICAL HYDROGEL CONTACT LAYER
- PRINTED LIGHT-EMITTING FLEXIBLE LAYER
- SKIN-SAFE BREATHABLE ADHESIVE BACKING
- Reusable light engine module
Flexibility at 190 microns thin
Printed Healing Light
The patch separates a reusable light-emitting module from a disposable hydrogel contact layer, so each treatment starts clean. Form, flex and adhesive zoning were balanced so the device stays comfortable and secure across the full wear window.
Photobiomodulation therapy healing
Printed Healing Light
The patch separates a reusable light-emitting module from a disposable hydrogel contact layer, so each treatment starts clean. Form, flex and adhesive zoning were balanced so the device stays comfortable and secure across the full wear window.
Wearability
Disposable Hydrogel Engineering
The disposable hydrogel contact layer is engineered for consistent optical coupling and skin adhesion, then released cleanly at end of wear. Adhesive zoning along with differential release chemistry keep the reusable light module aligned and comfortable through every treatment cycle.
The brief
Light therapy worn against the skin, disposable by design.
The CareWear patch delivers photobiomodulation through a thin, flexible light-emitting layer sealed against a disposable hydrogel. The interface had to feel like a wearable, not a medical device — soft, conformable and intuitive — while surviving skin chemistry, flex and repeated handling.
Outcome
“Delivered a comprehensive production package—including finalized artwork and a validated skin-contact stack-up—resulting in a wearable with consistent light delivery and comfort across every treatment cycle.”
The release package provided the print shop with layered vector artwork, separations, control drawings, and a documented skin-contact stack-up to eliminate production delays. Deliverables also included all necessary tooling, fixtures, assembly instructions, large-scale illustrations, and ISO-compliant quality documentation.
Next step
Have a medical wearable that needs this kind of discipline?
Send a sketch, a stack-up, or a failing sample. Most enquiries get a technical reply within one business day.