An integrated wearable self-powered platform for real-time and continuous temperature monitoring

Abstract

Biocompatible and reliable temperature monitoring platforms are constantly required to develop wearable electronics for future sophisticated health diagnosis and protection of high-risk individuals. Considering the fact that heat exposures during pregnancy might increase the risk for abortions, premature birth or congenital heart defects, here, we propose a conceptual self-powered temperature monitoring platform for simultaneous real-time tracking of the temperature variation in lower limb of a pregnancy woman and her surrounding environment during exercise. Thanks to the special channel design and local spindle-shaped construction, the single yarn-based temperature (SYBT) sensor exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity, bending resistance, good biocompatibility and integrability with fabrics. A vertical contact-separate mode triboelectric nanogenerator embedded into a shoe extracts energy from body motion to power the SYBT sensors, achieving the self-powered features of the platform. Coupled with wirelessly date transmitting and user interfaces, the temperatures of pregnant volunteer’s lower limb and surrounding ambience are simultaneously and continuously monitored during exercise in a self-powered manner. Such SYBT sensors and self-powered design strategy provides a new avenue for future temperature monitoring electronics.