Biointegrated Conductive Hydrogel for Real-Time Motion Sensing in Exoskeleton-Assisted Lower-Limb Rehabilitation

Chronic lower-extremity wounds in patients undergoing exoskeleton-assisted rehabilitation require materials that can both protect tissue and enable real-time physiological monitoring. Conventional dressings lack dynamic sensing capability, while current conductive hydrogels often compromise either adhesion or electronic performance. Here, we present a biointegrated hydrogel (CPSD) composed of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) forming the conductive backbone, integrated with dopamine-functionalized sodium alginate (SD); the network is assembled via electrostatic complexation and carbodiimide (EDC/NHS)-mediated covalent crosslinking. The resulting hydrogel exhibits a dense, tissue-conformal porous network with tunable swelling, stable mechanical integrity, and high photothermal conversion efficiency. In vitro assays confirmed potent antioxidant activity, strong antibacterial performance (>90% under near-infrared), and excellent cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility. CPSD shows bulk conductivity ~1.6 S·m⁻¹, compressive modulus ~15 kPa, lap-shear adhesion on porcine skin ~9.5 kPa, and WVTR ~75 g·m⁻²·h⁻¹, supporting stable biointerfaces for motion/sEMG sensing. Integrated into a lower-limb exoskeleton, CPSD hydrogels adhered securely during motion and reliably captured electromyographic and strain signals, enabling movement-intent detection. These results highlight CPSD hydrogel as a multifunctional interface material for next-generation closed-loop rehabilitation systems and mobile health monitoring.