Wearable, Battery-Free, Self-Powered Electrochemical Sensors for Personalized Health Monitoring

Abstract

Recent advances in materials, mechanics, and device architectures form the foundations for rapidly emerging classes of sensors with mechanical characteristics that allow for conformal interfaces with the soft, curvilinear surfaces of the human body. While the field of tissue-integrated biophysical sensors exhibits commendable progress in capturing clinical quality thermal, kinematic, and electrophysiological information, the advancement of complementary biochemical sensors severely lags due to unique challenges associated with seamless integration of delicate biochemical receptors, transducing components, and suitable packaging materials. In this talk, I will discuss non-traditional approaches to address some of these grand challenges. Specifically, I will discuss three technologies that my lab is developing -1) wearable, biofuel cell-inspired sensors for sweat monitoring 2) wearable, soft microfluidics with in-built valving and pumping capabilities for precise, on-demand sensing, and 3) AI-powered, wearable wound monitors for early prediction of chronic wounds.