Infection protective biomimetic wearable strain sensor for laryngeal and articular movement monitoring inspired by epidermal protection and dermal motion detection

Abstract

The human skin is a complex sensory organ that detects various stimuli and functions as a protective barrier with antimicrobial properties. However, conventional wearable sensors prioritize detection over protection, posing challenges for medical applications requiring simultaneous health monitoring and infection control. An innovative human skin-inspired wearable biomimetic strain sensor (BSS) capable of detecting mechanical stimuli and providing antimicrobial protection, emulating the natural ability of skin to defend against pathogens, is developed in this study. The BSS features a sandwich structure with a Cu thin film placed between ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs). The bottom ZnO NP layer enhances strain sensitivity via crack propagation in the Cu thin film while the top ZnO NP layer offers antimicrobial protection against various pathogens. The fabricated BSS exhibits a gauge factor of 175, the highest reported among antimicrobial wearable sensors, along with fast rise and fall times of 0.42 ms and 0.38 ms, respectively, and achieves 99.999 % pathogen neutralization within 30 min, representing the fastest and most effective antimicrobial performance reported to date. The sensor successfully detects the physiological signals of the mandibular pulse and vocal cord vibrations for acoustic recognition and provides early detection of potential suture failures at laparotomy sites. The dual biosignal monitoring and pathogen neutralization capabilities of the BSS opens new pathways for advancing public health and safety in wearable sensor technologies.