Self-Powered Flexible Biosensors and Electronic Skin

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosensor Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 20081

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610056, China
Interests: flexible electronics; biosensors; chemical sensors; electronic skin; self-powered sensing system; self-charging battery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610056, China
Interests: self-powered sensing system; nanogenerators; piezoelectric devices; piezoelectronics; piezophototronics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Interests: biosensors; chemical sensors; nanomaterials; self-powered sensing system; electronic skin
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Flexible or wearable bio/chemical sensors that attach to body accessories or human skin have been given great attention because of the popularization of portable electronic consumers, including implantable/attachable medical analyzing or various smart electronics (sports watches/bracelets). The latest developments in materials science, mechanics technology, and electronics can help in establishing the various stretchable and flexible sensing devices (e.g., electronic skin) conforming to the complex, textured surface of the skin or clothing. At the same time, the rapid development of self-powered techniques has also brought enormous opportunities for the advancement of traditional sensing systems. Integrating different power-generating devices into the system is becoming a critical component for constructing a self-powered flexible biosensing or chemical-sensing system. The convergence of wearable electronics, miniaturized sensor technologies, and self-powered techniques provides novel opportunities to improve the quality of health/environmental analysis while realizing private, accurate, real-time bio/chemical sensing. This series of works will be very interesting and beneficial to the scientific community to develop the next generation of bio/chemical sensors and expand the scope of self-powered systems.

Prof. Dr. Xinyu Xue
Prof. Dr. Yan Zhang
Prof. Dr. Lili Xing
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • biosensors
  • chemical sensors
  • electronic skin
  • self-powered
  • flexible electronics
  • health analysis
  • environmental monitoring

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3714 KiB  
Article
Thermally Drawn CNT-Based Hybrid Nanocomposite Fiber for Electrochemical Sensing
by Rino Nishimoto, Yuichi Sato, Jingxuan Wu, Tomoki Saizaki, Mahiro Kubo, Mengyun Wang, Hiroya Abe, Inès Richard, Tatsuo Yoshinobu, Fabien Sorin and Yuanyuan Guo
Biosensors 2022, 12(8), 559; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12080559 - 24 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2465
Abstract
Nowadays, bioelectronic devices are evolving from rigid to flexible materials and substrates, among which thermally-drawn-fiber-based bioelectronics represent promising technologies thanks to their inherent flexibility and seamless integration of multi-functionalities. However, electrochemical sensing within fibers remains a poorly explored area, as it imposes new [...] Read more.
Nowadays, bioelectronic devices are evolving from rigid to flexible materials and substrates, among which thermally-drawn-fiber-based bioelectronics represent promising technologies thanks to their inherent flexibility and seamless integration of multi-functionalities. However, electrochemical sensing within fibers remains a poorly explored area, as it imposes new demands for material properties—both the electrochemical sensitivity and the thermomechanical compatibility with the fiber drawing process. Here, we designed and fabricated microelectrode fibers made of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based hybrid nanocomposites and further evaluated their detailed electrochemical sensing performances. Carbon-black-impregnated polyethylene (CB-CPE) was chosen as the base material, into which CNT was loaded homogeneously in a concentration range of 3.8 to 10 wt%. First, electrical impedance characterization of CNT nanocomposites showed a remarkable decrease of the resistance with the increase in CNT loading ratio, suggesting that CNTs notably increased the effective electrical current pathways inside the composites. In addition, the proof-of-principle performance of fiber-based microelectrodes was characterized for the detection of ferrocenemethanol (FcMeOH) and dopamine (DA), exhibiting an ultra-high sensitivity. Additionally, we further examined the long-term stability of such composite-based electrode in exposure to the aqueous environment, mimicking the in vivo or in vitro settings. Later, we functionalized the surface of the microelectrode fiber with ion-sensitive membranes (ISM) for the selective sensing of Na+ ions. The miniature fiber-based electrochemical sensor developed here holds great potential for standalone point-of-care sensing applications. In the future, taking full advantage of the thermal drawing process, the electrical, optical, chemical, and electrochemical modalities can be all integrated together within a thin strand of fiber. This single fiber can be useful for fundamental multi-mechanistic studies for biological applications and the weaved fibers can be further applied for daily health monitoring as functional textiles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Self-Powered Flexible Biosensors and Electronic Skin)
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11 pages, 3816 KiB  
Article
An Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Blood Pressure Monitor Wristband Based on Piezoelectric Nanogenerator
by Puchuan Tan, Yuan Xi, Shengyu Chao, Dongjie Jiang, Zhuo Liu, Yubo Fan and Zhou Li
Biosensors 2022, 12(4), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12040234 - 11 Apr 2022
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5459
Abstract
Hypertensive patients account for about 16% to 37% of the global population, and about 9.4 million people die each year from hypertension and its complications. Blood pressure is an important indicator for diagnosing hypertension. Currently, blood pressure measurement methods are mainly based on [...] Read more.
Hypertensive patients account for about 16% to 37% of the global population, and about 9.4 million people die each year from hypertension and its complications. Blood pressure is an important indicator for diagnosing hypertension. Currently, blood pressure measurement methods are mainly based on mercury sphygmomanometers in hospitals or electronic sphygmomanometers at home. However, people’s blood pressure changes with time, and using only the blood pressure value at the current moment to judge hypertension may cause misdiagnosis. Continuous blood pressure measurement can monitor sudden increases in blood pressure, and can also provide physicians with long-term continuous blood pressure changes as a diagnostic reference. In this article, we design an artificial intelligence-enhanced blood pressure monitoring wristband. The wristband’s sensors are based on piezoelectric nanogenerators, with a high signal-to-noise ratio of 29.7 dB. Through the transformer deep learning model, the wristband can predict blood pressure readings, and the loss value is lower than 4 mmHg. By wearing this blood pressure monitoring wristband, we realized three days of continuous blood pressure monitoring of the subjects. The blood pressure monitoring wristband is lightweight, has profound significance for the prevention and treatment of hypertension, and has wide application prospects in medical, military, aerospace and other fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Self-Powered Flexible Biosensors and Electronic Skin)
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9 pages, 2358 KiB  
Article
A Self-Powered Wearable Motion Sensor for Monitoring Volleyball Skill and Building Big Sports Data
by Weijie Liu, Zhihe Long, Guangyou Yang and Lili Xing
Biosensors 2022, 12(2), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12020060 - 24 Jan 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4783
Abstract
A novel self-powered wearable motion sensor for monitoring the spiking gesture of volleyball athletes has been manufactured from piezoelectric PVDF film. The PVDF film can convert body mechanical energy into electricity through the piezoelectric effect, and the flexible device can be conformably attached [...] Read more.
A novel self-powered wearable motion sensor for monitoring the spiking gesture of volleyball athletes has been manufactured from piezoelectric PVDF film. The PVDF film can convert body mechanical energy into electricity through the piezoelectric effect, and the flexible device can be conformably attached on the hand or arm. The sensor can work independently without power supply and actively output piezoelectric signals as the sports information. The sensor can detect the tiny and fine motion of spiking movement in playing volleyball, reflecting the skill. Additionally, the sensor can also real-time monitor the pulse changes and language during a volleyball match. The self-powered sensors can link to a wireless transmitter for uploading the sports information and building big sports data. This work can provoke a new direction for real-time sports monitoring and promote the development of big sports data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Self-Powered Flexible Biosensors and Electronic Skin)
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Review

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34 pages, 6276 KiB  
Review
From Piezoelectric Nanogenerator to Non-Invasive Medical Sensor: A Review
by Qiliang Zhu, Tong Wu and Ning Wang
Biosensors 2023, 13(1), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13010113 - 09 Jan 2023
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3669
Abstract
Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) not only are able to harvest mechanical energy from the ambient environment or body and convert mechanical signals into electricity but can also inform us about pathophysiological changes and communicate this information using electrical signals, thus acting as medical sensors [...] Read more.
Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) not only are able to harvest mechanical energy from the ambient environment or body and convert mechanical signals into electricity but can also inform us about pathophysiological changes and communicate this information using electrical signals, thus acting as medical sensors to provide personalized medical solutions to patients. In this review, we aim to present the latest advances in PENG-based non-invasive sensors for clinical diagnosis and medical treatment. While we begin with the basic principles of PENGs and their applications in energy harvesting, this review focuses on the medical sensing applications of PENGs, including detection mechanisms, material selection, and adaptive design, which are oriented toward disease diagnosis. Considering the non-invasive in vitro application scenario, discussions about the individualized designs that are intended to balance a high performance, durability, comfortability, and skin-friendliness are mainly divided into two types: mechanical sensors and biosensors, according to the key role of piezoelectric effects in disease diagnosis. The shortcomings, challenges, and possible corresponding solutions of PENG-based medical sensing devices are also highlighted, promoting the development of robust, reliable, scalable, and cost-effective medical systems that are helpful for the public. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Self-Powered Flexible Biosensors and Electronic Skin)
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19 pages, 4431 KiB  
Review
Mechanical Sensors for Cardiovascular Monitoring: From Battery-Powered to Self-Powered
by Chuyu Tang, Zhirong Liu and Linlin Li
Biosensors 2022, 12(8), 651; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12080651 - 17 Aug 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3007
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Long-term and real-time monitoring of cardiovascular indicators is required to detect abnormalities and conduct early intervention in time. To this end, the development of flexible wearable/implantable sensors for real-time monitoring of various [...] Read more.
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Long-term and real-time monitoring of cardiovascular indicators is required to detect abnormalities and conduct early intervention in time. To this end, the development of flexible wearable/implantable sensors for real-time monitoring of various vital signs has aroused extensive interest among researchers. Among the different kinds of sensors, mechanical sensors can reflect the direct information of pressure fluctuations in the cardiovascular system with the advantages of high sensitivity and suitable flexibility. Herein, we first introduce the recent advances of four kinds of mechanical sensors for cardiovascular system monitoring, based on capacitive, piezoresistive, piezoelectric, and triboelectric principles. Then, the physio-mechanical mechanisms in the cardiovascular system and their monitoring are described, including pulse wave, blood pressure, heart rhythm, endocardial pressure, etc. Finally, we emphasize the importance of real-time physiological monitoring in the treatment of cardiovascular disease and discuss its challenges in clinical translation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Self-Powered Flexible Biosensors and Electronic Skin)
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