Search Results (347)

In this study, we present a wearable sensing system for monitoring the physiological status of damaged biological tissues based on a flexible, frequency-coded electromagnetic spiral resonator array. The physiological parameter evaluation is performed in a contactless way, avoiding the placing of electronically active elements directly upon the patient’s skin, thus ensuring safety and comfort. Firstly, we report in detail the physical principles behind the sensing strategy: a passive array is interrogated through an actively fed external single-loop probe that is inductively coupled with the double-layer spiral unit cells. The variation in the physiological parameters influences the array response, thus providing sensing information, due to the different complex dielectric permittivity values related to the tissue status. Moreover, the proposed frequency-coded approach allows for spatial information on the lesion to be retrieved, thus increasing the sensing ability. In order to prove the validity of this general methodology, we created a numerical test case, designing a practical implementation of the wearable sensing system working at a radiofrequency regime (10–100 MHz). In addition, we also fabricated prototypes, exploiting PCB technology, and realized stratified phantoms by incorporating opportune additives to control the dielectric properties. The numerical results and the experimental verification demonstrated the validity of the developed sensing strategy, showing satisfying agreement and, thus, proving the good sensibility and spatial resolution of the frequency-coded array. These results can open the path to a radically novel approach for self-care and monitoring of inflamed status and, more generally, for wearable sensing devices in biomedical applications. Full article

Sweat-based electrochemical sensors for wearable applications have attracted substantial interest due to their non-invasive nature, compact design, and ability to provide real-time data. Remarkable advancements have been made in integrating these devices into flexible platforms. While thin-film polymer substrates are frequently employed for their durability, the prolonged buildup of sweat on such materials can disrupt consistent sensing performance and adversely affect skin comfort over extended periods. Therefore, investigating lightweight, comfortable, and breathable base materials for constructing working electrodes is essential for producing flexible and breathable sweat electrochemical sensors. In this study, nylon fabric was chosen as the base material for constructing the working electrode. The electrode is prepared using a straightforward printing process, incorporating Ti₃C₂T_X MXene/polyaniline and methylene blue as modification materials in the electronic intermediary layer. The synergistic effect of the modified layer and the multi-level structure of the current collector enhances the electrochemical kinetics on the electrode surface, improves electron transmission efficiency, and enables the nylon fabric-based electrode to accurately and selectively measure glucose concentration in sweat. It exhibits a wide linear range (0.04~3.08 mM), high sensitivity (3.11 μA·mM⁻¹), strong anti-interference capabilities, and high stability. This system can monitor glucose levels and trends in sweat, facilitating the assessment of daily sugar intake for personal health management. Full article

Dynamic ventilation has proven effective in enhancing indoor thermal comfort. However, previous studies often expose participants to inconsistent thermal environments, potentially compromising the accuracy of subjective evaluations. To address this limitation, this study implemented dynamic ventilation with fluctuating air velocity in an accurately controlled environmental chamber. Objective measurements of indoor air velocity and air temperature distribution are conducted, and subjective thermal sensation votes are collected under thermally consistent environments among participants. During the experiment, all participants experience similar dynamic thermal environments. The results show that participants experience thermal comfort under dynamic ventilation. Dynamic ventilation enhances convective heat transfer between the human body and the surrounding air and stimulates cutaneous cold receptors. The pronounced cooling effect of dynamic airflow contributes to a reduction in skin temperature on the head, chest, upper arm, forearm, hand, and thigh, with a temperature drop ranging from 1.3% to 2.8%. In addition, dynamic ventilation significantly reduces draft risk, with the proportion of participants reporting a dissatisfied sensation decreasing from 10% to 0%. This study demonstrates the advantages of dynamic ventilation in improving thermal comfort and minimizing draft risk under controlled and uniform environmental conditions for all participants. Full article

With the improvement in living standards and the aging of the population, the development of thin, light, and unobtrusive electronic skin devices is accelerating. These electronic devices combine the convenience of wearable electronics with the comfort of a skin-like fit. They are used to acquire multimodal physiological signal data from the wearer and real-time transmission of signals for vital signs monitoring, health dynamics warning, and disease prevention. These capabilities impose unique requirements on material selection, signal transmission, and data processing for such electronic devices. Firstly, this review provides a systematic introduction to nanomaterials, conductive hydrogels, and liquid metals, which are currently used in human health monitoring. Then, it introduces the solution to the contradiction between wireless data transmission and flexible electronic skin devices. Then, the latest data processing progress is briefly described. Finally, the latest research advances in electronic skin devices based on medical scenarios are presented, and their current development, challenges faced, and future opportunities in the field of vital signs monitoring are discussed. Full article

This study presents the development and the mechanical and clinical characterization of a flexible biodegradable chitosan–glycerol–graphite composite strain sensor for real-time respiratory monitoring, where the main material, chitosan, is derived and extracted from Tenebrio Molitor larvae shells. Chitosan was extracted using a sustainable, low-impact protocol and processed into a stretchable and flexible film through glycerol plasticization and graphite integration, forming a conductive biocomposite. The sensor, fabricated in a straight-line geometry to ensure uniform strain distribution and signal stability, was evaluated for its mechanical and electrical performance under cyclic loading. Results demonstrate linearity, repeatability, and responsiveness to strain variations in the stain sensor during mechanical characterization and performance, ranging from 1 to 15%, with minimal hysteresis and fast recovery times. The device reliably captured respiratory cycles during normal breathing across three different areas of measurement: the sternum, lower ribs, and diaphragm. The strain sensor also identified distinct breathing patterns, including eupnea, tachypnea, bradypnea, apnea, and Kussmaul respiration, showing the capability to sense respiratory cycles during pathological situations. Compared to conventional monitoring systems, the sensor offers superior skin conformity, better adhesion, comfort, and improved signal quality without the need for invasive procedures or complex instrumentation. Its low-cost, biocompatible design holds strong potential for wearable healthcare applications, particularly in continuous respiratory tracking, sleep disorder diagnostics, and home-based patient monitoring. Future work will focus on wireless integration, environmental durability, and clinical validation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Conventional blood collection can be challenging in a non-clinical or home-based setting. In response, vacuum-assisted lancing devices for capillary blood collection (typically from the upper arm) have gained popularity to broaden access to diagnostic testing. However, these devices are often costly relative to the reimbursement rate for common laboratory testing panels. This study describes the design and evaluation of Comfort Draw™, a simplified and economical vacuum-assisted capillary blood collection device. Methods: Comfort Draw™ was evaluated by 12 participants in a preliminary study and by 42 participants in a follow-up study. Metrics assessed included the following: vacuum pressure of the device, skin temperature generated by the Comfort Draw prep warmer, blood collection volume, and analytical accuracy (for 19 common serum-based analytes). Results: Acceptable blood volume (>400 µL) and serum volume (>100 µL) were collected by Comfort Draw in 85.5% and 95.1% of cases, respectively. Seventeen of the nineteen analytes examined were within CLIA acceptance limits compared to matched venous samples. Self-reported pain scores associated with Comfort Draw collection averaged 0.39 on a scale from 0 to 10. Conclusions: In this preliminary clinical study, Comfort Draw was found to be a valid and relatively painless method for collecting capillary blood specimens. The device’s simple design and lower cost could enable broader applications compared to more complex alternative capillary blood collection devices. Full article

Traditional wound and burn treatments often fall short in balancing antimicrobial efficacy, patient comfort, and ease of application. This study introduces a novel, transparent, thermoresponsive sol–gel formulation incorporating polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) for advanced topical therapy. Utilizing Poloxamer 407 as a biocompatible carrier, the formulation remains a sprayable liquid at room temperature and instantly gels upon contact with body temperature, enabling painless, pressure-free application on sensitive, injured skin. Comprehensive in vitro and in vivo evaluations confirmed the formulation’s broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy (≥5 log₁₀ reduction in 30 s), high biocompatibility (viability > 70% in fibroblasts), non-irritancy (OECD 425-compliant), and physical stability across three months. Importantly, the formulation maintained fibroblast migration capacity—crucial for wound regeneration—while exhibiting rapid sol-to-gel transition at ~34 °C. These findings highlight the system’s potential as a next-generation wound dressing with enhanced user compliance, transparent monitoring capability, and rapid healing support, particularly in disaster or emergency scenarios. Full article

The construction industry is one of the main areas of energy consumption and carbon emissions, and strengthening research on the thermal performance of building facades can effectively promote energy conservation and emission reduction. Compared with traditional static enclosure structures, dynamic skin can adapt its functions, characteristics, and methods based on constantly changing environmental conditions and performance requirements. It has great potential in adapting to the environment, reducing energy consumption, adjusting shading and natural ventilation, and improving human thermal and visual comfort. To comprehensively understand the key technologies of dynamic skin energy-saving design, previous research results were comprehensively compiled from relevant databases. The research results indicate that various types of dynamic skins, intelligent materials, multi-layer facades, dynamic shading, and biomimetic facades are commonly used core technologies for dynamic facades. Parametric modeling, computer simulation, and multi-objective algorithms are commonly used to optimize the performance of dynamic skin. In addition, integrated technology design, interaction design, and lifecycle design should be effective methods for improving dynamic skin energy efficiency, resident satisfaction, and economic benefits. Despite current challenges, dynamic skin energy-saving technology remains one of the most effective solutions for future sustainable building design. Full article

Obtaining stable ECG signals under both static and dynamic conditions, while ensuring comfortable wear, is a prerequisite for fabric-electrode applications. It is necessary to study the wearing pressure of fabric electrodes as well as their organizational structure. In this study, fabric electrodes with different organizational structures (plain weave, twill weave, and satin weave) were prepared using silver-plated nylon conductive yarns as weft yarns and polyester yarns as warp yarns. The electrical characteristics of these structures of fabric electrodes were analyzed under different wearing pressures (2 kPa, 3 kPa, 4 kPa, and 5 kPa), and their effects on the quality of static and dynamic ECG signals acquired from human body were examined. The results showed that the contact impedance of the twill and satin weave structured electrodes with the skin was smaller and more stable than that of the plain weave structured electrodes. Furthermore, when a wearing pressure of 3–4 kPa was applied to the satin-structured electrodes, they not only provided satisfactory comfort but also collected stable static and dynamic ECG signals during daily exercise. These results can provide a reference for the application of fabric electrodes in ECG monitoring devices and an important basis for the design of intelligent ECG clothing. Full article

The construction sector presently consumes about 40% of global energy and generates 36% of CO₂ emissions, making facade retrofits a priority for decarbonising buildings. This review clarifies how ventilated facades (VFs), wall assemblies that interpose a ventilated air cavity between outer cladding and the insulated structure, address that challenge. First, the paper categorises VFs by structural configuration, ventilation strategy and functional control into four principal families: double-skin, rainscreen, hybrid/adaptive and active–passive systems, with further extensions such as BIPV, PCM and green-wall integrations that couple energy generation or storage with envelope performance. Heat-transfer analysis shows that the cavity interrupts conductive paths, promotes buoyancy- or wind-driven convection, and curtails radiative exchange. Key design parameters, including cavity depth, vent-area ratio, airflow velocity and surface emissivity, govern this balance, while hybrid ventilation offers the most excellent peak-load mitigation with modest energy input. A synthesis of simulation and field studies indicates that properly detailed VFs reduce envelope cooling loads by 20–55% across diverse climates and cut winter heating demand by 10–20% when vents are seasonally managed or coupled with heat-recovery devices. These thermal benefits translate into steadier interior surface temperatures, lower radiant asymmetry and fewer drafts, thereby expanding the hours occupants remain within comfort bands without mechanical conditioning. Climate-responsive guidance emerges in tropical and arid regions, favouring highly ventilated, low-absorptance cladding; temperate and continental zones gain from adaptive vents, movable insulation or PCM layers; multi-skin adaptive facades promise balanced year-round savings by re-configuring in real time. Overall, the review demonstrates that VFs constitute a versatile, passive-plus platform for low-carbon buildings, simultaneously enhancing energy efficiency, durability and indoor comfort. Future advances in smart controls, bio-based materials and integrated energy-recovery systems are poised to unlock further performance gains and accelerate the sector’s transition to net-zero. Emerging multifunctional materials such as phase-change composites, nanostructured coatings, and perovskite-integrated systems also show promise in enhancing facade adaptability and energy responsiveness. Full article

Eczema, or atopic dermatitis (AD), is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by persistent itching and scratching, significantly impacting patients’ quality of life. Effective monitoring of scratching behaviour is crucial for assessing disease severity, treatment efficacy, and understanding the relationship between itch and sleep disturbances. This review explores current technological approaches for detecting and monitoring scratching and itching in AD patients, categorising them into contact-based and non-contact-based methods. Contact-based methods primarily involve wearable sensors, such as accelerometers, electromyography (EMG), and piezoelectric sensors, which track limb movements and muscle activity associated with scratching. Non-contact methods include video-based motion tracking, thermal imaging, and acoustic analysis, commonly employed in sleep clinics and controlled environments to assess nocturnal scratching. Furthermore, emerging artificial intelligence (AI)-driven approaches leveraging machine learning for automated scratch detection are discussed. The advantages, limitations, and validation challenges of these technologies, including accuracy, user comfort, data privacy, and real-world applicability, are critically analysed. Finally, we outline future research directions, emphasizing the integration of multimodal monitoring, real-time data analysis, and patient-centric wearable solutions to improve disease management. This review serves as a comprehensive resource for clinicians, researchers, and technology developers seeking to advance objective itch and scratch monitoring in AD patients. Full article

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of global mortality, with hypertension affecting over one billion people. Current noninvasive blood pressure (BP) systems, like cuffs, suffer from discomfort and placement errors and lack continuous monitoring. Wearable solutions promise improvements, but technologies like photoplethysmography (PPG) and bioimpedance (BIOZ) face usability and clinical accuracy limitations. PPG is sensitive to skin tone and body mass index (BMI) variability, while BIOZ struggles with electrode contact and reusability. We present a novel, strain gauge-based wearable BP device that directly quantifies pressure via a dual transducer system, compensating for tissue deformation and external forces to enable continuous, accurate BP measurement. The reusable, energy-efficient, and compact design suits long-term daily use. A novel leg press protocol across 10 subjects (systolic: 71.04–241.42 mmHg, diastolic: 53.46–123.84 mmHg) validated its performance under dynamic conditions, achieving mean absolute errors of 2.45 ± 3.99 mmHg (systolic) and 1.59 ± 2.08 mmHg (diastolic). The device showed enhanced robustness compared to the Finapres, with less motion-induced noise. This technology significantly advances current methods by delivering continuous, real-time BP monitoring without reliance on electrodes, independent of skin tone, while maintaining a high accuracy and user comfort. Full article

The mental fatigue of crane operators can pose a serious threat to construction safety. To enhance the safety of crane operations on construction sites, this study proposes a rotary switch semi-dry electrode for detecting the mental fatigue of crane operators. This rotary switch semi-dry electrode overcomes the problems of the large impedance value of traditional dry electrodes, the cumbersome wet electrode operation, and the uncontrollable outflow of conductive liquid from traditional semi-dry electrodes. By designing a rotary switch structure inside the electrode, it allows the electrode to be turned on and used in motion, which greatly improves the efficiency of using the conductive fluid and prolongs the electrode’s use time. A conductive sponge was used at the electrode’s contact end with the skin, improving comfort and making it suitable for long-term wear. In addition, in this study, the multifractal detrend fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) method was used to detect the mental fatigue state of crane operators. The results indicate that the MF-DFA is more responsive to the tiredness traits of individuals than conventional fatigue detection methods. The proposed rotary switch semi-dry electrode can quickly and accurately detect the mental fatigue of crane operators, provide support for timely warning or intervention, and effectively reduce the risk of accidents at construction sites, enhancing construction safety and efficiency. Full article

Vulvar hygiene is an important part of general hygiene: the goals are to clear the vulvar area of microbial and cellular debris and vaginal and fecal secretions, ensure local comfort, provide natural levels of hydration, and protect the vulvar microbiota. There are few national and international guidelines on vulvar hygiene. We searched the PubMed database up until 30 November 2024, using logical combinations of the following terms: hygiene, washing, vulva, vulvar, microbiota, hydration, syndet, soap, detergent, water, and customs. The abstracts were reviewed, and potentially relevant full-text articles were retrieved and examined. The subregions of the vulva vary with regard to the presence of sweat and sebaceous glands, the keratin content, the water content, the pH, and the microbiota (notably Lactobacillus, Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, and Prevotella). An alteration in the vulvar microbiota can cause an imbalance in the vaginal microbiota, and vice versa. Vaginal douching may have negative effects on vulvar microbiota. Hair removal might increase the risk of long-term dermatological complications. Repeated washing with water alone exposes the stratum corneum to damage, and washing with soap alters the stratum corneum proteins and lipids, increases skin water loss, and accentuates the risk of irritation. Syndet-based products have a mild detergent effect, promotion of hydration, a suitable pH for the vulvar area, and protection of the vulvar microbiota. Syndet-based products (containing a blend of surfactants, emollients, antioxidants, and buffering agents) appear to be the most appropriate for vulvar care. Full article

Soft or flexible electronics is a rapidly growing and pioneering research field, as it makes devices comfortable to use, especially in biomedical engineering. Both single- and multi-network hydrogels have diverse applications where the most significant one is in the building of soft electronics, including soft circuits, displays, sensors, batteries, and supercapacitors, electronic storage, electric skin, health monitoring devices, soft robots, and automotive. Three-dimensional printing of conductive gels/hydrogels facilitates the construction of soft electronics. This review illustrates the design, mechanism, and application of hydrogel in soft electronics. The current progress, scope of improvement, and future prospects of hydrogel-based soft electronics are also discussed. This review will provide a clear concept of the topic to researchers. Full article