Wide‐Bandwidth Nanocomposite‐Sensor Integrated Smart Mask for Tracking Multiphase Respiratory Activities

Abstract

Wearing masks has been a recommended protective measure due to the risks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) even in its coming endemic phase. Therefore, deploying a "smart mask" to monitor human physiological signals is highly beneficial for personal and public health. This work presents a smart mask integrating an ultrathin nanocomposite sponge structure-based soundwave sensor (≈400 μm), which allows the high sensitivity in a wide-bandwidth dynamic pressure range, i.e., capable of detecting various respiratory sounds of breathing, speaking, and coughing. Thirty-one subjects test the smart mask in recording their respiratory activities. Machine/deep learning methods, i.e., support vector machine and convolutional neural networks, are used to recognize these activities, which show average macro-recalls of ≈95% in both individual and generalized models. With rich high-frequency (≈4000 Hz) information recorded, the two-/tri-phase coughs can be mapped while speaking words can be identified, demonstrating that the smart mask can be applicable as a daily wearable Internet of Things (IoT) device for respiratory disease identification, voice interaction tool, etc. in the future. This work bridges the technological gap between ultra-lightweight but high-frequency response sensor material fabrication, signal transduction and processing, and machining/deep learning to demonstrate a wearable device for potential applications in continual health monitoring in daily life.

COVID‐19: Prevention, Detection, and Treatment by Using Carbon Nanotubes‐Based Materials

“…[103] Hence, the limited applications of CNTs in immunotherapy are due to toxicity and the bioaccumulation concerns in the human body. [193] While there are successful developments of CNTs-based sensors reported in the literature, [13,28,62,64,136,143] only few were successfully commercialized. [194] The main barrier to the commercialization of CNTs-based sensors is principally associated with the problematic scaling-up of the laboratory-scale methods into industrial ones and have also affected the commercialization process.…”

“…As the world progresses toward the endemic phase, the development of smart masks to track multi-phase respiratory activities during the COVID-19 endemic is an innovative way to limit the spread. Suo et al [13] invented a CNTs-and PDMS nanocomposites-based smart mask that utilizes high-frequency vibrations to detect breathing air flows between a few hundred Hz to 8000 Hz. The technology to prepare the smart mask combines an ultra-lightweight but high-frequency response sensor material fabrication signal transduction and conditioning, and machine learning algorithms, to track subjects with cough symptoms in the endemic phase.…”

“…[19,26,28] CNTs modification is typically achieved using bioactive components, including chemotherapeutic compounds, proteins, and biocompatible polymers. [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] For example, polymerfunctionalized CNTs have been employed as components of PPE [13] and biosensors. [28,31,35] Likewise, silicon has been proposed for drug delivery, by modification with CNTs [36] to deliver the antiviral Remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients at early infection stages.…”

“…The regulation of mask wearing policy, social distancing, development of effective vaccines, diagnostic and antiviral tools, as well as inhibition of virus entry, remain as vital research areas in combating COVID-19. [13] Correspondingly, nanotechnology has consistently provided the best possible solutions to fight and combat COVID-19 through various approaches, viz. the development of nanomaterials for the clinical applications of (i) safe preventive measures, (ii) rapid diagnostic tests and (iii) antiviral drugs or vaccines.…”

“…[12] With up to 70 % of global vaccination coverage in mid-2022, the population is optimistic that the COVID-19 pandemic will be endemic, like the seasonal flu (common cold). [13] However, a prominent virologist from the University of Oxford cautioned that the "optimistic bias" should be avoided, and the population is to be realistic about the risk associated with the COVID-19 endemic. [14] This is because the continuous circulation and mutation of the virus could lead to the formation of new variants.…”