Piezoelectric Film Sensor (Picoleaf™)

"Picoleaf" is a flexible and thin sensor capable of highly sensitive pressing force detection, developed using Murata Manufacturing's proprietary piezoelectric technology. It can be mounted in smaller spaces, is thinner than conventional sensors, and can be used to improve the assembly and durability of products.
The piezoelectric film used in "Picoleaf" is made from polylactic acid bound with lactic acid made from fermented starch extracted from plant tissue. Plants synthesize starch by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, so producing this carbon neutral material does not increase the total amount of carbon dioxide (which causes global warming) in the atmosphere.

Corporate Press Releases
Key features
Applications
Availability
Technical Reference

Corporate Press Releases

6/9/2023

Murata Partners with SIXPAD: New Product “SIXPAD Health Grip” to Feature Murata’s Piezoelectric Film Sensor “Picoleaf”

Key features

Can be used to design smaller devices: Requires little space even when combined with a display or touch panel.
Highly sensitive: A single sensor can detect pressing force across the entire surface of a large display. It can even be used for detecting microscopic displacement to the µm level, tremors^*1 (involuntary muscle movements), gripping^*2, and biosignals such as pulsation.
Non-pyroelectric^*3: Heat generated by body temperature, sunlight, or semiconductors and other components causes only low amounts of sensitivity fluctuation and noise.
Low power consumption: The sensor element consumes no power, and operation amplifiers can be designed with a low consumption current (around 10 uA).
Flexible structure: Picoleaf can even be attached to devices designed with curved surfaces.

*1Involuntary rhythmical trembling of parts of the body, such as the hands, head, or legs.
*2The state where an object is being held firmly.
*3A physical property of a substance where changes in temperature do not cause polarization.

Download product datasheet

Applications

Detecting pressing force

Its pressing force detection characteristics allow Picoleaf to be used as a UI sensor.
When installed on a stylus pen, Picoleaf can detect if the pen is being held by a person.
It can differentiate between being pressed or merely touched, and this capability can be used to reduce erroneous operation.

Detecting biosignals

Piezoelectric film sensors are highly sensitive and can be used as a sensor for detecting "pulsation and respiration" biosignals.
An example of detecting pulsation at the fingertip is shown below.

Murata is working with individuals at specialized institutions on joint research on detecting biosignals, and has published the following journal articles.

International academic society

Pressure-based Detection of Heart and Respiratory Rates from Human Body Surface using a Biodegradable Piezoelectric Sensor
Ziqiang Xu, Akira Furui, Shumma Jomyo, Toshiki Sakagawa, Masanori Morita, Tsutomu Takai, Masamichi Ando, and Toshio Tsuji
Proceedings of 43rd Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC’21), pp. 5415–5418, Virtual Conference due to COVID-19, Nov 1–5, 2021.

Link

International academic journal

Beat-to-beat Estimation of Peripheral Arterial Stiffness from Local PWV for Quantitative Evaluation of Sympathetic Nervous System Activity
Ziqiang Xu, Toshiki Sakagawa, Akira Furui, Shumma Jomyo, Masanori Morita, Masamichi Ando, and Toshio Tsuji
IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Digital Object Identifier: 10.1109/TBME.2022.3154398, Date of publication: 25 February 2022 (SCI, IF=4.538)

Link

International academic journal

Toward a Robust Estimation of Respiratory Rate using Cardiovascular Biomarkers_Robustness Analysis under Pain Stimulation
Ziqiang Xu, Toshiki Sakagawa, Akira Furui, Shumma Jomyo, Masanori Morita, Masamichi Ando, and Toshio Tsuji
IEEE Sensors Journal, doi: 10.1109/JSEN.2022.3165880. Date of publication: 08 April 2022

Link

Availability

Picoleaf is currently available in the following configurations, as an evaluation sample kit.
Feel free to contact us if interested in mass production. We can suggest the optimal specifications for your application.

Description	Appearance (example)	Applications
Sensor element only		Design with sensor attached to the main board
Sensor element and wiring		Design with sensor and board separated
Sensor element and part mounting wiring		Design with sensor and board separated, with no space for mounting parts on the main board

Technical Reference

Basics and principles of operation

Avoiding Counterfeit Products

PageTOP