Commercially available health monitors rely on rigid electronic housing coupled with aggressive adhesives and conductive gels, causing discomfort and inducing skin damage. Also, research‐level skin‐wearable devices, while excelling in some aspects, fall short as concept‐only presentations due to the fundamental challenges of active wireless communication and integration as a single device platform. Here, an all‐in‐one, wireless, stretchable hybrid electronics with key capabilities for real‐time physiological monitoring, automatic detection of signal abnormality via deep‐learning, and a long‐range wireless connectivity (up to 15 m) is introduced. The strategic integration of thin‐film electronic layers with hyperelastic elastomers allows the overall device to adhere and deform naturally with the human body while maintaining the functionalities of the on‐board electronics. The stretchable electrodes with optimized structures for intimate skin contact are capable of generating clinical‐grade electrocardiograms and accurate analysis of heart and respiratory rates while the motion sensor assesses physical activities. Implementation of convolutional neural networks for real‐time physiological classifications demonstrates the feasibility of multifaceted analysis with a high clinical relevance. Finally, in vivo demonstrations with animals and human subjects in various scenarios reveal the versatility of the device as both a health monitor and a viable research tool.
Recent advances in nanomaterials and nano-microfabrication have enabled the development of flexible wearable electronics. However, existing manufacturing methods still rely on a multi-step, error-prone complex process that requires a costly cleanroom facility. Here, we report a new class of additive nanomanufacturing of functional materials that enables a wireless, multilayered, seamlessly interconnected, and flexible hybrid electronic system. All-printed electronics, incorporating machine learning, offers multi-class and versatile human-machine interfaces. One of the key technological advancements is the use of a functionalized conductive graphene with enhanced biocompatibility, anti-oxidation, and solderability, which allows a wireless flexible circuit. The high-aspect ratio graphene offers gel-free, high-fidelity recording of muscle activities. The performance of the printed electronics is demonstrated by using real-time control of external systems via electromyograms. Anatomical study with deep learning-embedded electrophysiology mapping allows for an optimal selection of three channels to capture all finger motions with an accuracy of about 99% for seven classes.
Stress is one of the main causes that increase the risk of serious health problems. Recent wearable devices have been used to monitor stress levels via electrodermal activities on the skin. Although many biosensors provide adequate sensing performance, they still rely on uncomfortable, partially flexible systems with rigid electronics. These devices are mounted on either fingers or palms, which hinders a continuous signal monitoring. A fully‐integrated, stretchable, wireless skin‐conformal bioelectronic (referred to as “SKINTRONICS”) is introduced here that integrates soft, multi‐layered, nanomembrane sensors and electronics for continuous and portable stress monitoring in daily life. The all‐in‐one SKINTRONICS is ultrathin, highly soft, and lightweight, which overall offers an ergonomic and conformal lamination on the skin. Stretchable nanomembrane electrodes and a digital temperature sensor enable highly sensitive monitoring of galvanic skin response (GSR) and temperature. A set of comprehensive signal processing, computational modeling, and experimental study provides key aspects of device design, fabrication, and optimal placing location. Simultaneous comparison with two commercial stress monitors captures the enhanced performance of SKINTRONICS in long‐term wearability, minimal noise, and skin compatibility. In vivo demonstration of continuous stress monitoring in daily life reveals the unique capability of the soft device as a real‐world applicable stress monitor.
Despite the increasing awareness of the importance of sleep, the number of people suffering from insufficient sleep has increased every year. The gold-standard sleep assessment uses polysomnography (PSG) with various sensors to identify sleep patterns and disorders. However, due to the high cost of PSG and limited availability, many people with sleep disorders are left undiagnosed. Recent wearable sensors and electronics enable portable, continuous monitoring of sleep at home, overcoming the limitations of PSG. This report reviews the advances in wearable sensors, miniaturized electronics, and system packaging for home sleep monitoring. New devices available in the market and systems are collectively summarized based on their overall structure, form factor, materials, and sleep assessment method. It is expected that this review provides a comprehensive view of newly developed technologies and broad insights on wearable sensors and portable electronics toward advanced sleep monitoring as well as at-home sleep assessment. INTRODUCTIONWe spend almost one-third of our lifetime asleep. Sleep is an integral aspect of our life to sustain our daily activity, and the quality of sleep has a massive influence on our health, work performance, and well-being. Numerous research works have shown the association between the poor quality of sleep and many adverse effects on our health including, but not limited to, obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension, mood disorders, weakened immune system, and increased mortality risk (Buysse, 2014;Hublin et al., 2007;Patel et al., 2004;Sigurdson and Ayas, 2007). As an increasing number of people recognize sleep quality as a key component of a healthy lifestyle, research and industries related to sleep health have been actively growing. In 2019, the global sleep economy was $432 billion and was expected to grow up to $585 billion by 2024 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3% (Casper, 2020). Especially when the COVID-19 outbreak has become a global pandemic, the importance of sleep is emphasized to support people's immunity and health (Gulia and Kumar, 2020;Huang and Zhao, 2020;Sher, 2020).Despite this elevated awareness of sleep health, the number of people with insufficient sleep or sleep disorders has continuously increased. In 2015, it was reported that 18% of the United States population took less than 6 h of sleep per day. Insufficient sleep caused reduced labor productivity and increased mortality, leading to an economic loss of $411 billion, which is expected to grow up to $467 billion in 2030 (Hafner et al., 2016). Furthermore, in 2015, the American Association of Sleep Medicine (AASM) reported that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), one of the most prevalent sleep disorders, afflicted 12% of the adult population in the United States. AASM also noted that around 80% of people with OSA were undiagnosed, resulting in an economic burden of $149.6 billion due to loss in productivity and an increase in the risk of costly comorbidities (Watson, 2016). Despite their prevalen...
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