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A high-quality protective film, which is less than two micrometers thick, has been developed by the scientists at the University of Tokyo. It may be that start of the development for electronic skin displays showing what is going on with a human body.

Combining human body and electronic devices to enhance or restore the functions of the body for biomedical applications is the goal of the researchers around the world. The new technology will allow the production of ultraflexible, ultrathin, high performing wearable electronic displays and other devices, NDTV reported.

Most of the devices that are available so far require thick glass or plastic substrates which are not flexible enough, while micrometre-scale thin flexible organic devices are not stable enough to survive in air.

The new technology was developed at the University of Tokyo. The protective film is using an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display.

They created the film using inorganic (Silicon Oxynitrite) and organic (Parylene) material. It prevents water vapor and passage of oxygen in the air which extended the devices lifetime from few hours as seen in first research to few days.

The film's display is made possible by attaching transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes to an ultrathin substrate. The team was able to create an organic photodetectors (OPDs) and polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) using the ITO electrodes and new protective layer, as reported by Tech 2.

The film is thin enough to be attached to skin and flexible enough to withstand body movements. The PLEDs were three micrometers thick and over six times more efficient compared to the first ultrathin PLEDs.

It also reduces heat generation and power consumption which makes it suitable for medical applications like pulse rate or displays for blood oxygen concentration.

The team also combined green and red PLEDs with a photodetector to be able to demonstrate a blood oxygen sensor.

"The advent of mobile phones has changed the way we communicate. While these communication tools are getting smaller and smaller, they are still discrete devices that we have to carry with us," said University of Tokyo professor, Takao Someya

"What would the world be like if we had displays that could adhere to our bodies and even show our emotions or level of stress or unease?" asked Someya. "In addition to not having to carry a device with us at all times, they might enhance the way we interact with those around us or add a whole new dimension to how we communicate," he added in a university statement.