A flexible intelligent sensor for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Vol. 515; p. 163765
• Main Authors: Duan, Lei, Li, Zhi, Jiang, Fan, Chen, Zong-Ju, Zhang, Wei-Song, Zhao, Pei-Chen, Wang, Li-Chun, Luo, Yan-Long, Zhao, Che, Li, Cheng-Hui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.07.2025
• Subjects: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Dynamic bonds; Flexible sensors; Poly(thioctic acid); Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Poly(thioctic acid); Dynamic bonds; Flexible sensors
• ISSN: 1385-8947
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2025.163765

[Display omitted] •The polymer show ed self-healing, high tensile properties, tear resistance, puncture resistance, strong adhesion, and damage tolerance;•The flexible smart sensor captures subtle movement changes in ALS patients, enabling real-time human body monitoring;•The poly(thioctic acid) sensor demonstrates high temperature sensitivity for personal temperature monitoring and sensing;•The flexible smart sensor features Morse code communication capabilities, enabling signal conversion to digital information. Flexible wearable devices are favorable for monitoring the physiological parameters of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, facilitating early diagnosis and subsequent treatment. However, developing multifunctional flexible sensors that possess high mechanical strength and sensitivity, while ensuring stable health monitoring and efficient communication, remains a significant challenge. In this study, a poly(thioctic acid) material (TA-T-Zn) is synthesized via a one-pot method. The as-prepared poly(thioctic acid) exhibited outstanding room-temperature self-healing capabilities, ultra-high tensile properties, tear resistance, puncture resistance, strong adhesion, and exceptional damage tolerance. The flexible smart sensor based on TA-T-Zn not only accurately captures subtle movement changes in ALS patients, including finger and wrist movements and minute facial expressions, enabling real-time human body monitoring, but also demonstrates high sensitivity within the temperature range of 35°C to 50°C, making it suitable for personal temperature monitoring and temperature sensing. More importantly, in the advanced stages of ALS, the sensor can facilitate communication through Morse code, converting signals into digital information such as “1314520″ and ”π“ using Python software, thereby accurately interpreting the patient’s intentions and significantly enhancing treatment and care outcomes. This study offers a practical approach to the development of flexible multifunctional smart sensors, particularly for ALS patients.