Wearable and Biodegradable Sensors for Clinical and Environmental Applications

Abstract

This current Review focuses on recent contributions of wearable and biodegradable sensors dedicated to health and environmental applications. Recent examples reported in the literature are presented and critically discussed in order to diagnose diseases and their response to treatment with a focus on cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Advances in devices for body temperature, humidity (skin hydration), human physiological signals, and metal detection in body fluids are demonstrated concerning simple and portable platforms. Studies performed outside the controlled laboratory environment can rapidly help in point-of-care analyses or self-examination by the patients. Environmental approaches are also outlined, aiming at gas detection, metal sensing, and environment humidity, including different substrates showing not only flexible and biodegradable sensors but also wireless detection and data communication. The discussed examples for health and environmental analyses have successfully demonstrated the considerable potential of wearable devices for real-time and on-site applications, highlighting the self-monitoring capacity. Future investigations should consider the device’s operational simplicity with a more straightforward interpretation of results to make them affordable for the market. The huge potential of wearable and biodegradable devices enables them as emerging and powerful platforms for replacing current gold standard methods for rapid health screening and environmental monitoring in the near future. The next trend in the technological field of the development and application of new biodegradable materials to wearable devices should focus on studies involving the stability, toxicity, and biocompatibility of the final devices.

Electrospun Nickel Manganite (NiMn2O4) Nanocrystalline Fibers for Humidity and Temperature Sensing

“…A good sensing material needs to show high sensitivity, good selectivity, and be low-cost, reliable and easy to fabricate [ 8 ]. The rapid development of flexible electronics increases the need for developing sensing materials suited for such applications [ 11 , 12 ], such as metal oxide capacitive humidity sensors on paper [ 2 ]. Recent research has focused on developing a self-powered, flexible humidity sensor [ 13 ].…”

Recent progress in the fabrication of flexible materials for wearable sensors

“…27–29 Due to the environmental problems caused by the large-scale use of wearable sensors and their disposal, researchers are also exploring the application of degradable materials in wearable sensors to reduce environmental pollution. 30 Flexible, stretchable, and biocompatible hydrogels have been used in a variety of flexible wearable sensors, 31,32 which promotes the further development of flexible sensors in terms of degradability. Recently, many synthetic hydrogels with high mechanical strength have been developed, but they do not have sufficient toughness and elasticity.…”

State of Sweat: Emerging Wearable Systems for Real-Time, Noninvasive Sweat Sensing and Analytics

“…This perspective offers an overview of the current state-of-the-art for wearable sweat biosensors, with particular emphasis on the application use cases for these sensors. The nascent field is of considerable interest with recent reviews ,,,− contextualizing the progress of wearable sweat sensors within the scope of skin-interfaced devices, ,,,,, sensing technologies, ,,,− specific applications, ,,,,,,, material systems, , and fabrication methods . By contrast, this perspective highlights the most advanced translational embodiments spanning the fundamental use cases for these platforms in relationship to sensing targets.…”