Battery-free, wireless soft sensors for continuous multi-site measurements of pressure and temperature from patients at risk for pressure injuries

Abstract

Capabilities for continuous monitoring of pressures and temperatures at critical skin interfaces can help to guide care strategies that minimize the potential for pressure injuries in hospitalized patients or in individuals confined to the bed. This paper introduces a soft, skin-mountable class of sensor system for this purpose. The design includes a pressure-responsive element based on membrane deflection and a battery-free, wireless mode of operation capable of multi-site measurements at strategic locations across the body. Such devices yield continuous, simultaneous readings of pressure and temperature in a sequential readout scheme from a pair of primary antennas mounted under the bedding and connected to a wireless reader and a multiplexer located at the bedside. Experimental evaluation of the sensor and the complete system includes benchtop measurements and numerical simulations of the key features. Clinical trials involving two hemiplegic patients and a tetraplegic patient demonstrate the feasibility, functionality and long-term stability of this technology in operating hospital settings.

Recent Advances in Wearable Optical Sensor Automation Powered by Battery versus Skin-like Battery-Free Devices for Personal Healthcare—A Review

“…The mechanism, structural compositions, performance quantities, and applications of pressure and strain sensing devices vary widely. A new kind of sensing device system is presented that is soft and may be worn on the skin [ 165 ]. A pressure-responsive element established on membrane deflection is included in the design, as well as a battery-free, wireless mode of operation that allows for multisite evaluations around the body.…”

“…Two hemiplegic patients and a tetraplegic patient participated in clinical studies to establish the automation’s practicality, usefulness, and long-term stability in operational hospital settings. Figure 12 b shows the photograph of a device mounted on a body heel that is susceptible to pressure [ 165 ].…”

“…Inset shows the optical image of the wireless temperature sensing platform with printed temperature sensing device [ 161 ], ( b ) photograph of a device affixed to body heel that is susceptible to pressure. Inset shows the photograph of a battery-free, wireless pressure sensing device [ 165 ], ( c ) photograph of strain-sensitive elastic active-matrix transistor array as skin-like elastic strain sensing device [ 166 ], ( d ) image of the multifunctional device attached directly onto the skin ( left ) real-time acceleration (motion), ECG, skin temperature, and UV tracking results [ 167 ].…”

Design of a Diagnostic System for Patient Recovery Based on Deep Learning Image Processing: For the Prevention of Bedsores and Leg Rehabilitation

“…In particular, the problem is getting more serious as the population of the elderly who are vulnerable to bedsores is increasing. Recently, to solve this problem in Korea, the world’s first monitoring system to prevent bedsores with wireless battery-free soft pressure sensors has been developed [ 35 ]. However, most patients are still directly identified and managed, and diagnosis is performed using a protractor, especially for identifying lesions related to joint measurement.…”

A Self-Powered Wearable Motion Sensor for Monitoring Volleyball Skill and Building Big Sports Data

“…Rechargeable batteries need to be charged frequently, which leads to great inconvenience to the real-time collection of athletes’ daily training data. The emerging self-powered sensors provide new ideas for overcoming this problem [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Recently, self-powered flexible biosensing devices have been used in real-time monitoring various physiological indicators like blood glucose, body temperature, heart rate and pulse in daily life [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”