Abstract
Recently, rapid advances in flexible strain sensors have broadened their application scenario in monitoring of various mechanophysiological signals. Among various strain sensors, the crack-based strain sensors have drawn increasing attention in monitoring subtle mechanical deformation due to their high sensitivity. However, early generation and rapid propagation of cracks in the conductive sensing layer result in a narrow working range, limiting their application in monitoring large biomechanical signals. Herein, we developed a stress-deconcentrated ultrasensitive strain (SDUS) sensor with ultrahigh sensitivity (gauge factor up to 2.3 × 106) and a wide working range (0%–50%) via incorporating notch-insensitive elastic substrate and micro-crack-tunable conductive layer. Furthermore, the highly elastic amine-based polymer-modified polydimethylsiloxane substrate without obvious hysteresis endows our SDUS sensor with a rapid response time (2.33 ms) to external stimuli. The accurate detection of the radial pulse, joint motion, and vocal cord vibration proves the capability of SDUS sensor for healthcare monitoring and human-machine communications.
摘要
近年来, 柔性应变传感器的迅速发展, 拓宽了其在各种机械生理信号监测中的应用范围. 在各种应变传感器中, 基于裂纹的应变传感器由于其高灵敏度, 在监测微小的机械变形方面越来越受到重视. 然而, 由于导电传感层中裂纹的早期产生和快速扩展导致裂纹传感器工作范围狭窄, 限制了其在监测较大生物力学变形中的应用. 本研究通过引入缺口不敏感的弹性基底和可调微裂纹的导电层, 开发了具有超高灵敏度(应变系数高达2.3 × 106) 和宽工作范围(0%–50%)的应力分散超灵敏应变(SDUS)传感器. 此外, 高弹性胺基聚合物修饰的聚二甲基硅氧烷衬底没有明显的迟滞, 使SDUS传感器对外界刺激能够快速响应(响应时间2.33 ms). 通过对桡动脉脉搏、 关节运动和声带振动的精确检测, SDUS传感器在医疗健康监测和人机通信方面的能力得到了验证.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2019YFA0210104), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81971701), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20201352), and the Program of Jiangsu Specially-Appointed Professor.
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Author contributions Yang Y, Tang W, Wang J designed and performed the experiments, and wrote the paper; Hu B proposed the concept and supervised this study. All authors contributed to the general discussion and revision of the manuscript.
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Yizhuo Yang is currently an undergraduate student at Nanjing Medical University (NJMU). Her research interests mainly focus on flexible strain sensors and their application in biomechanical signal monitoring.
Benhui Hu received his PhD degree from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He started an independent research career as a full professor at the School of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, NJMU in 2018, and served as the deputy director of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, NJMU. His research focuses on implantable/wearable diagnostic and therapeutic flexible devices, which are used in real-time multimodal monitoring and boosted tissue repair.
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Stress-deconcentrated ultrasensitive strain sensor with hydrogen-bonding-tuned fracture resilience for robust biomechanical monitoring
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Yang, Y., Tang, W., Wang, J. et al. Stress-deconcentrated ultrasensitive strain sensor with hydrogen-bonding-tuned fracture resilience for robust biomechanical monitoring. Sci. China Mater. 65, 2289–2297 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-022-1986-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-022-1986-5