Mini Review on Flexible and Wearable Electronics for Monitoring Human Health Information

• Published in: Nanoscale research letters Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 263 - 15
• Main Authors: Gu, Yiding, Zhang, Ting, Chen, Hao, Wang, Feng, Pu, Yueming, Gao, Chunming, Li, Shibin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-08-2019; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Body temperature; Chemistry and Materials Science; Electronics; Fitness; Flexible sensors; Force sensors; Health; Health monitoring; Human-computer interaction; Information processing; Materials Science; Modules; Molecular Medicine; Multifunctional sensors; Nano Review; Nanochemistry; Nanoscale Science and Technology; Nanotechnology; Nanotechnology and Microengineering; Physical fitness; Physiological biochemical sensors; Sensors; Signal processing; Skin; Temperature sensors; Wearable technology; Wrist; Health monitoring; Temperature sensors; Multifunctional sensors; Physiological biochemical sensors; Force sensors; Flexible sensors
• ISSN: 1931-7573; 1556-276X
• DOI: 10.1186/s11671-019-3084-x

The application potential of wearable electronics in the healthcare field has been of great interest over the past several decades. Flexible and wearable devices based on skin-friendly soft elastic materials can be snugly attached to the surface of human skin, so that a series of vital health information such as wrist pulse, body temperature, and blood glucose can be extracted and analyzed to help the patient maintain physical fitness. Here, we outlined the most common types of wearable electronics for monitoring human health information, including force sensors, temperature sensors, physiological biochemical sensors, and multifunctional sensors. Their general working principles and structural innovations are reviewed. Then, we discussed two functional modules that make the wearable sensors more applicable in real life—self-powered module and signal processing module. The challenges and future research directions are also proposed to develop wearable electronics for monitoring human health information.