Wearable Pressure Sensors for Pulse Wave Monitoring

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 34; no. 21; pp. e2109357 - n/a
• Main Authors: Meng, Keyu, Xiao, Xiao, Wei, Wenxin, Chen, Guorui, Nashalian, Ardo, Shen, Sophia, Chen, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.05.2022
• Subjects: Biomechanics; cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular system; Condition monitoring; Materials science; Microengineering; Optical measuring instruments; personalized healthcare; Physiology; Piezoelectricity; Pressure sensors; pulse signals; Sensors; Wave measurement; Waveforms; wearable electronics; Wearable technology; Weight reduction; microengineering; personalized healthcare; cardiovascular diseases; pulse signals; pressure sensors; wearable electronics
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202109357

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide. The rapid development of flexible sensing technologies and wearable pressure sensors have attracted keen research interest and have been widely used for long‐term and real‐time cardiovascular status monitoring. Owing to compelling characteristics, including light weight, wearing comfort, and high sensitivity to pulse pressures, physiological pulse waveforms can be precisely and continuously monitored by flexible pressure sensors for wearable health monitoring. Herein, an overview of wearable pressure sensors for human pulse wave monitoring is presented, with a focus on the transduction mechanism, microengineering structures, and related applications in pulse wave monitoring and cardiovascular condition assessment. The conceptualizations and methods for the acquisition of physiological and pathological information related to the cardiovascular system are outlined. The biomechanics of arterial pulse waves and the working mechanism of various wearable pressure sensors, including triboelectric, piezoelectric, magnetoelastic, piezoresistive, capacitive, and optical sensors, are also subject to systematic debate. Exemple applications of pulse wave measurement based on microengineering structured devices are then summarized. Finally, a discussion of the opportunities and challenges that wearable pressure sensors face, as well as their potential as a wearable intelligent system for personalized healthcare is given in conclusion. The current advances of wearable pressure sensors for human pulse wave monitoring are presented, with a focus on the transduction mechanism, microengineering structures, and related applications in pulse wave monitoring and cardiovascular condition assessment. The biomechanics of arterial pulse waves, the working mechanism of various wearable pressure sensors, as well as opportunities and challenges are also concluded.