This
current Review focuses on recent contributions of wearable
and biodegradable sensors dedicated to health and environmental applications.
Recent examples reported in the literature are presented and critically
discussed in order to diagnose diseases and their response to treatment
with a focus on cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Advances in
devices for body temperature, humidity (skin hydration), human physiological
signals, and metal detection in body fluids are demonstrated concerning
simple and portable platforms. Studies performed outside the controlled
laboratory environment can rapidly help in point-of-care analyses
or self-examination by the patients. Environmental approaches are
also outlined, aiming at gas detection, metal sensing, and environment
humidity, including different substrates showing not only flexible
and biodegradable sensors but also wireless detection and data communication.
The discussed examples for health and environmental analyses have
successfully demonstrated the considerable potential of wearable devices
for real-time and on-site applications, highlighting the self-monitoring
capacity. Future investigations should consider the device’s
operational simplicity with a more straightforward interpretation
of results to make them affordable for the market. The huge potential
of wearable and biodegradable devices enables them as emerging and
powerful platforms for replacing current gold standard methods for
rapid health screening and environmental monitoring in the near future.
The next trend in the technological field of the development and application
of new biodegradable materials to wearable devices should focus on
studies involving the stability, toxicity, and biocompatibility of
the final devices.