Graphene: The Common Factor Between Our Products
As you hopefully know by now, Flextrapower is a medical technology company that developed a smart insole featuring graphene sensors. These sensors detect diabetic foot ulcers before they form — promoting early intervention to prevent amputation. And, to fulfill PPE supply gaps since the pandemic, we have now added a graphene mask to the bag.
While these are different products for different people, they both have one purpose — to keep people safe via preventive care — and each use unique properties of the patented material graphene to enhance their effectiveness.
Graphene: Its Significance
So first off: What exactly is graphene? Hanns-Peter Boehm, who identified single-layer carbon foils in 1962, deemed the term ‘graphene,’ which is a combination of graphite and the suffix “ene.” Graphene is the thinnest, yet strongest material consisting of a single layer of a carbon atom. It’s the basic structural element of other carbon-based materials, such as graphite, charcoal, and carbon nanotube.
Graphene has many applications; because it is the strongest material in the world, even a little amount added to plastics, metals, and other materials can make these materials stronger. Graphene has thermal applications (it’s the most heat conductive material known to date), and is used in microelectronics and high power density electronic devices thanks to its ability to spread heat. Graphene can store energy as well; it’s found in batteries and supercapacitors since it can power faster charging. All in all, there are seemingly endless graphene applications. You can also find it in paint and anti-corrosion coatings, as a sensor for reading precise data, within electronics to make them faster and more efficient, as an enhancement to solar panels, and more.
Graphene & Our Products
So, how is graphene integral to Flextrapower? As mentioned earlier, we have two products: a smart insole and an anti-viral graphene mask. Both use graphene in different ways.
About the Insole
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Flextrapower’s smart insole detects diabetic foot ulcers before they form. Individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are at greater risk of developing foot ulceration, which if gone undetected can lead to infection and even amputation. Various components, like high levels of glucose and smoking, can increase the risk of foot-related complications. Using our smart insole can save lives.
The insole is embedded with a multitude of sensors that can measure and detect differences in foot temperature and pressure — indicators of inflammation that could lead to a debilitating foot ulcer. The soft and flexible graphene material is the topmost layer on the insole; it sits closest to the skin, which allows for precise temperature readings.
By using graphene in the insole, the material’s sensing properties can detect foot temperature variations to the 0.1th degree Celcius. Best yet, the insole is comfortable to wear and can provide continuous data to both a user and their medical provider. A user in real-time can watch what the insole is detecting directly on their cell phone with our companion app. In the event that a diabetic foot ulcer might be forming, a notification is sent with actionable next steps. Having continuous monitoring turns a foot’s physiological signals into a powerful line of defense against the development of a foot ulcer.
About the Graphene Mask
When COVID hit, there was an unprecedented shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including masks. Ever since, Flextrapower has been trying to fill the gap in our health and safety system, initially by donating masks, and later, to manufacturing our own.
In addition to sensing properties found in our insole, graphene also has a property that helps repel and kill different types of viruses-containing microdroplets. Our mask features a graphene filter, which is easy to remove and wash for reuse, and effectively keeps both the wearer and passerby protected from any viruses. To back this up, in a recent study, the differences between graphite, graphite oxide, and monolayer graphene oxide (GO, what’s in our mask’s filter) were tested. Scientists found that monolayer GO portrayed significantly improved antiviral properties compared to graphite and graphite oxide.
What’s Next For Us
And what about our smart insoles? They are still in development! Due to some unfortunate timing, we were about to run clinical trials on our smart insole this spring when COVID hit; the hospitals we have partnerships with put our project on pause while they focused on treating patients with the virus. On the bright side, this has given us more time to conduct additional testing and development in the lab. So although the pandemic has slowed down our timeline for getting this product to market, it has not halted our ability to test and refine it.
While we come up with new innovative technologies and products in the future, graphene will always remain at the core of Flextrapower. Whether a smart insole for people living with diabetes, a graphene mask for consumers, or a smart shirt using advanced EMG technology (yes, coming soon!) this dynamic, mighty, yet unassuming nano-material is what fuels our vision: to sense the invisible and enable every human to live a healthier life.
