All‐3D‐Printed, Flexible, and Hybrid Wearable Bioelectronic Tactile Sensors Using Biocompatible Nanocomposites for Health Monitoring

Abstract

Physiological signals contain a wealth of personal health information which needs continuous monitoring for early detection of disease‐induced physiological irregularities and can be established as a potential approach to developing personalized healthcare devices. However, it is restricted by the lack of cost‐effective, precise, sensitive, and biocompatible flexible wearable sensors that are rapidly, reliably, and cost‐effectively are integratable. Here the work is reported on the development of novel, multimaterial, and multilayer all‐3D‐printed nanocomposite‐based (M2A3DNC) microengineered, flexible, hybrid, and soft wearable pressure sensors to record sensitive and multiple physiological signals for real‐time human health monitoring. By applying the intrinsic property of extrusion 3D printing, the conductive layers as well as the hemicylinder microstructure dielectric layer are directly 3D printed by optimizing the moving path of a nozzle, with air voids formation after assembling to enhance the compressibility of the active layer in our sensors. The microengineered sensors exhibit a very low detection limit, rapid response time, a repeatable and reproducible mechanical property with matching modulus with human skin (0.57–3.7 MPa) while offering intimate contact to the skin, excellent biocompatibility, and high mechanical compressibility in the active layer which leads to significantly high sensitivity. Thus, the proposed 3D printed cost‐effective M2A3DNC sensors pave a novel path to develop a highly compressible microstructured device with high sensitivity and low detection limit in a time‐effective manner with demonstrated application in real‐time health monitoring and envision further applicability in robotics tactile sensing interfaces.

Advances in Medical Wearable Biosensors: Design, Fabrication and Materials Strategies in Healthcare Monitoring

“…Similar studies were reported elsewhere by Yi et al (2021), wherein they used an all-3D-printed, flexible, and wearable hybrid bioelectronic tactile sensor fabricated using biocompatible nanocomposites. They show comparable results to the previously discussed studies with advantages of low detection limits, quick response rates, excellent biocompatibility, better compressibility, and a matching modulus of elasticity with human skin [ 74 ]. Developments in strain and tactile sensors have a multitude of applications, like monitoring general physical health, social interactions, assistance to specially abled populations, improving athletic performance and rehabilitation, and measuring sleep quality, among other applications.…”

Design principles for a single-process 3D-printed stacked dielectric actuators — Theory and experiment

“…The main limitations of the proposed model arise from the linearization of the electromechanical coupling (10). The DC offset of the driving voltage and the change in thickness of the actuator during dynamic excitation (the thickness of the dielectric influences the generated force (3)) cannot be represented by the defined (linear) transfer functions.…”

“…Fully 3D-printed dynamic sensors [5] introduced in recent years are capable of measuring acceleration [6,7], force [8,9], pressure [10,11], and strain [12,13]. Conductive polymer nanocomposites enable the imprinting of conductive networks [14,15] and passive electrical elements [16].…”

A 3D Nanomaterials‐Printed Wearable, Battery‐Free, Biocompatible, Flexible, and Wireless pH Sensor System for Real‐Time Health Monitoring

“…[14,17,18] The recent advancements in the development of different conducting inks (e.g., nano particles, nanotube compositions), and insulating inks (i.e., polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS)) in combination with rapid 3D-printing technology, have enabled us to manufacture various wearable sensing devices more rapidly and cost-effectively. [19] The proposed WB 2 F3D sensor system here consists of two modular units, 1) a disposable and noninvasive pH sensor, and 2) a reusable near-field communication (NFC)-based electronic/ communication circuitry and antenna, both together enable real-time, wireless, and battery-free in situ pH monitoring. The pH sensor is fabricated on a highly flexible SEBS substrate.…”