Soft Wearable Healthcare Materials and Devices

Abstract

In spite of advances in electronics and internet technologies, current healthcare remains hospital‐centred. Disruptive technologies are required to translate state‐of‐art wearable devices into next‐generation patient‐centered diagnosis and therapy. In this review, recent advances in the emerging field of soft wearable materials and devices are summarized. A prerequisite for such future healthcare devices is the need of novel materials to be mechanically compliant, electrically conductive, and biologically compatible. It is begun with an overview of the two viable design strategies reported in the literatures, which is followed by description of state‐of‐the‐art wearable healthcare devices for monitoring physical, electrophysiological, chemical, and biological signals. Self‐powered wearable bioenergy devices are also covered and sensing systems, as well as feedback‐controlled wearable closed‐loop biodiagnostic and therapy systems. Finally, it is concluded with an overall summary and future perspective.

Wearable Self‐Powered Electrochemical Devices for Continuous Health Management

“…Electrochemical sensing has historically demonstrated its usefulness in a high number of cases. [7] Importantly, the demanding versatility of wearable devices has led to the use of several types of electrochemical sensors including substrates from different nature with different properties that allows its suitable application (Figure 2) (the reader is referred to these reviews on materials for wearable applications [13][14][15][85][86][87] ). From chemically modified electrodes and solid-contact ion-selective electrodes (SC-ISEs) to printed disposable electrodes and paperand yarn-based devices, an immense variety of electrochemical sensors has been applied for wearable purposes.…”

A Wearable Microneedle‐Based Extended Gate Transistor for Real‐Time Detection of Sodium in Interstitial Fluids

“…Wearable devices based on sweat or ISF biosensing [18][19][20] have considerable advantage in monitoring (e.g., through perspiration) multi-physiological indexes and biomarkers [21,22] (e.g., Sodium is a prominent prognostic biomarker for assessing health status, such as dysnatremia. As of now, detection and monitoring of sodium levels in the human body is carried out by means of laborious and bulky laboratory equipmentand/or by offline analysis of various body fluids.…”

Recent advances in flexible and wearable sensors for monitoring chemical molecules

“…A previous recent review has summarized emerging flexible and wearable materials and advanced flexible and wearable devices for monitoring physical, electrophysiological, chemical, and biological signals. 20…”