Sensor Patch Research Articles

(Digital Presentation) A Low-Modulus, Soft and Stretchable Wearable Electrocardiography Sensor-System Patch

Electrocardiography (ECG) is a primary tool for diagnosis of various types of disease and disorders such as arrhythmias, coronary heart disease, heart attack, mental disorders, etc. Reliable wearable ECG devices can be a valuable tool in early diagnosis and effective treatment of such disease and disorders. Convention wearable ECG sensor-systems are rigid, bulky, expensive, and the recorded ECG signals using these wearable devices lack required accuracy for medical diagnosis mainly due to motion artifacts that is originated from slippage of sensors on skin and/or instable interface between the soft sensor and the rigid electronic circuits.Here, we report a low-modulus, soft and stretchable wearable electrocardiography (ECG) sensor-system patch which enables continuous and long-term recording of ECG signals with minimal motion artifacts. This system consists of two reusable, detachable-attachable patches: sensor patch and circuit patch, as shown in Figure 1a. The reusable multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) based sensor patch is fabricated on stretchable elastomer substrate by our developed cost and time-effective method. Reusable, front-end and wireless circuit patch is made by integration of the off-the-shelf integrated circuit components with three-dimensional (3D) stretchable-deformable interconnects (SDI). SDIs are 3D springs of liquid metal (EGaIn). Unlike other reported liquid metal based interconnects, SDI has been designed in 3D form to increase the stretchability and make it low-modulus and robust to deformations in all directions. The stretchability of SDI structure is beyond 500% (the limit of our measurement system) without any negligible change in electrical resistivity of the interconnects. With less than 1% change in the resistance of SDIs after 50,000 cycles of applied tensile strain of 200%, the SDI structure ensures reliable stretchability and durability of the circuit patch for long-term electrocardiography.The sensor patch is soft, stretchable and it is fabricated using a low-cost scalable method. This soft and stretchable ECG sensor-system shows comparable performance with respect to medical grade Ag/AgCl wet gel electrodes. Our CNT-PDMS sensors shows low electrode-skin interface impedance and low susceptibility to motion artifact which similar of it in medical grade Ag/AgCl wet gel sensors (Fig. 1b). Further, it is waterproof, reusable and comfortable to wear.The circuit patch includes a rechargeable battery and ECG signals is wirelessly sent to a personal device such as cellphone, tablet and laptop through Bluetooth low energy (BLE) and it is displayed in real-time (Fig. 1c) Our developed sensor-system is a multi-use platform which can be applied for the detection of EMG, EEG or EOG signals. Figure 1

Synergy of Host–Guest and Cation−π Interactions for an Ultrastretchable, pH-Tunable, Surface-Adaptive, and Salt-Resistant Hydrogel Adhesive

The adhesion to wet, acidic, and saline biointerfaces with large deformation is important in the fields of wound dressing and motion monitoring but has proven to be extremely challenging. There is a need for a facile method to improve the stretchability and salt resistance simultaneously. Here, an ultrastretchable, pH-tunable, surface-adaptive, and salt-resistant hydrogel adhesive is reported. The hydrogel adhesive is prepared through cross-linking acrylamide with a supramolecular complex of poly(β-cyclodextrin) (PCD) and benzimidazole (BI). The dynamic association between PCD and BI causes an extra energy dissipation and improves the breaking strain to be larger than 4000%. The hydrogel exhibits stable adhesiveness to varieties of surfaces due to the multiple types of hydrogel–surface interactions, including ionic bond, π–π stacking, and hydrogen bond. Notably, the adhesive strength of the hydrogel gets significantly enhanced in an acidic environment and shows no attenuation in a saline environment. This is due to the unique adjacent cation−π structure of BI: the imidazole can be protonized upon acidification, and the phenyl group can repel water and enhance the ionic attraction with the substrates. The ultrastretchability, the stable adhesion on biointerfaces, and the salt resistance render the hydrogel a promising candidate for the surgical patch and motion sensors that serve in wet, acidic, and dynamic environments.

A machine learning-based multimodal electrochemical analytical device based on eMoSx-LIG for multiplexed detection of tyrosine and uric acid in sweat and saliva

Multiplexed detection of biomolecules is of great value in various fields, from disease diagnosis to food safety and environmental monitoring. However, accurate and multiplexed analyte detection is challenging to achieve in mixtures using a single device/material. In this paper, we demonstrate a machine learning (ML)-powered multimodal analytical device based on a single sensing material made of electrodeposited molybdenum polysulfide (eMoSx) on laser induced graphene (LIG) for multiplexed detection of tyrosine (TYR) and uric acid (UA) in sweat and saliva. Electrodeposition of MoSx shows an increased electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) and heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant, k0. Features are extracted from the electrochemical data in order to train ML models to predict the analyte concentration in the sample (both singly spiked and mixed samples). Different ML architectures are explored to optimize the sensing performance. The optimized ML-based multimodal analytical system offers a limit of detection (LOD) that is two orders of magnitude better than conventional approaches which rely on single peak analysis. A flexible and wearable sensor patch is also fabricated and validated on-body, achieving detection of UA and TYR in sweat over a wide concentration range. While the performance of the developed approach is demonstrated for detecting TYR and UA using eMoSx-LIG sensors, it is a general analytical methodology and can be extended to a variety of electrochemical sensors to enable accurate, reliable, and multiplexed sensing.

Flexible sensor patch for continuous carbon dioxide monitoring.

Monitoring and measurement of carbon dioxide (CO2) is critical for many fields. The gold standard CO2 sensor, the Severinghaus electrode, has remained unchanged for decades. In recent years, many other CO2 sensor formats, such as detection based upon pH-sensitive dyes, have been demonstrated, opening the door for relatively simple optical detection schemes. However, a majority of these optochemical sensors require complex sensor preparation steps and are difficult to control and repeatably execute. Here, we report a facile CO2 sensor generation method that suffers from none of the typical fabrication issues. The method described here utilizes polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the flexible sensor matrix and 1-hydroxypyrene-3,6,8-trisulfonate (HPTS), a pH-sensitive dye, as the sensing material. HPTS, a base (NaOH), and glycerol are loaded as dense droplets into a thin PDMS layer which is subsequently cured around the droplet. The fabrication process does not require prior knowledge in chemistry or device fabrication and can be completed as quickly as PDMS cures (∼2 h). We demonstrate the application of this thin-patch sensor for in-line CO2 quantification in cell culture media. To this end, we optimized the sensing composition and quantified CO2 in the range of 0–20 kPa. A standard curve was generated with high fidelity (R 2 = 0.998) along with an analytical resolution of 0.5 kPa (3.7 mm Hg). Additionally, the sensor is fully autoclavable for applications requiring sterility and has a long working lifetime. This flexible, simple-to-manufacture sensor has a myriad of potential applications and represents a new, straightforward means for optical carbon dioxide measurement.

Paper-Based Humidity Sensor for Respiratory Monitoring.

Flexible respiratory monitoring devices have become available for outside-hospital application scenarios attributable to their improved system wearability. However, the complex fabrication process of such flexible devices results in high prices, limiting their applications in real-life scenarios. This study proposes a flexible, low-cost, and easy-processing paper-based humidity sensor for sleep respiratory monitoring. A paper humidity sensing model was established and sensors under different design parameters were processed and tested, achieving high sensitivity of 5.45 kΩ/%RH and good repeatability with a matching rate of over 85.7%. Furthermore, the sensor patch with a dual-channel 3D structure was designed to distinguish between oral and nasal breathing from origin signals proved in the simulated breathing signal monitoring test. The sensor patch was applied in the sleep respiratory monitoring of a healthy volunteer and an obstruct sleep apnea patient, demonstrating its ability to distinguish between different respiratory patterns as well as various breathing modes.

A Breathable and Stretchable Metastructure for a Versatile Hybrid Electronic Skin Patch with Long‐Term Skin Comfort

AbstractWith increasingly diverse functionalities of electronic skins (E‐skins), components and structures for the E‐skin have also become more diverse and complex. It is extremely challenging to make all the components and devices required for additional functionalities stretchable and breathable to ensure skin comfort. Herein, we report a facile strategy to realize a versatile hybrid E‐skin patch with great skin comfort by developing a breathable and stretchable metastructure to serve as the platform material of the hybrid E‐skin patch. A Kagome‐based mechanical metastructure made of breathable, stretchable medical adhesive integrates and tethers non‐stretchable or stiff components and devices to the skin, allowing for both the breathability and mechanical comfort of skin. A wireless skin sensor system to sense electrocardiogram (ECG) signals and wirelessly transmit ECG signals in an event‐driven manner such as sending R peaks only is developed on a polyimide‐based flexible printed circuit board. The Kagome metastructure‐tethered wireless ECG sensor patch does not cause significant skin discomfort when worn for five days, and successfully enables the event‐driven wireless monitoring of ECG signals. We envision that this facile and versatile approach expands the type of materials and functionalities of E‐skin for digital healthcare, personalized medicine, and smart prosthetics with emerging functionalities.

Stretchable and Biodegradable Batteries with High Energy and Power Density.

Realizing a sustainable, technologically advanced future will necessitate solving the electronic waste problem. Biodegradable forms of electronics offer a viable path through their environmental benignity. With both the sheer number of devices produced every day as well as their areas of application ever increasing, new concepts of degradable batteries able to sustain the high power demands of modern electronics must be developed. Simultaneously, integration of electronics in close interaction with its user or powering soft robotic devices necessitates high degrees of compliance, rendering stretchable batteries indispensable. Here, a concept for merging intrinsically stretchable materials with engineered stretchability by kirigami-patterning on a component level is shown to yield high-power biodegradable batteries with reversible elasticity up to 35% when stretched uniaxially and 20% for biaxial extension. Using a combination of molybdenum metal foils, a molybdenum trioxide paste, and magnesium metal foils as electrode materials, a peak power output of 196 µW cm-2 and an energy density of 1.72 mWh cm-2 is achieved. The biodegradable batteries are used to power an on-skin biomedical sensor patch, enabling monitoring of sodium concentration in sweat. This concept provides a versatile route for high-power biodegradable batteries, enabling untethered soft electronic devices in a sustainable future.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG antibodies detection using a patch sensor containing porous microneedles and a paper-based immunoassay

Infectious diseases are among the leading causes of mortality worldwide. A new coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in Wuhan, China in 2019, and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared its outbreak, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as a global pandemic in 2020. COVID-19 can spread quickly from person to person. One of the most challenging issues is to identify the infected individuals and prevent potential spread of SARS-CoV-2. Recently, anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody tests using immunochromatographic methods have been used as a complement to current detection methods and have provided information of the approximate course of COVID-19 infection. However, blood sampling causes pain and poses risks of infection at the needle puncture site. In this study, a novel patch sensor integrating porous microneedles and an immunochromatographic assay (PMNIA) was developed for the rapid detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG in dermal interstitial fluid (ISF), which is a rich source of protein biomarkers, such as antibodies. Biodegradable porous microneedles (MNs) made of polylactic acid were fabricated to extract ISF from human skin by capillary effect. The extracted ISF was vertically transported and flowed into the affixed immunoassay biosensor, where specific antibodies could be detected colorimetrically on-site. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG antibodies were simultaneously detected within 3 min in vitro. Moreover, the limit of detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG concentrations was as low as 3 and 7 ng/mL, respectively. The developed device integrating porous MNs and immunochromatographic biosensors is expected to enable minimally invasive, simple, and rapid anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG antibody testing. Furthermore, the compact size of the MN and biosensor-integrated device is advantageous for its widespread use. The proposed device has great potential for rapid screening of various infectious diseases in addition to COVID-19 as an effective complementary method with other diagnostic tests.

Participant Engagement and Symptom Improvement: Aripiprazole Tablets with Sensor for the Treatment of Schizophrenia.

PurposeA recent, phase 3b, mirror-image clinical trial of outpatients with schizophrenia found that use of aripiprazole tablets with sensor (AS; Abilify MyCite®, comprising an ingestible event-marker sensor embedded in aripiprazole tablets, wearable sensor patches, and a smartphone application) reduced the incidence of psychiatric hospitalizations relative to oral standard-of-care antipsychotics. This analysis explored the relationship between AS engagement by participants and changes in participant performance and symptom-severity measures assessed by clinical raters.Participants and MethodsThis post hoc analysis used prospectively collected clinical data from a phase 3b clinical trial (NCT03892889). Outpatients had schizophrenia, were aged 18–65 years, and had ≥ 1 psychiatric hospitalization in the previous 48 months. Participants were grouped by study completion status and a k-means clustering algorithm based on AS utilization, resulting in 3 groups: discontinued (discontinued AS before month 3 of the study); moderate engagement (completed 3 months, used AS intermittently); and high engagement (completed 3 months, used AS regularly). Baseline to end-of-study differences for the Clinical Global Impression Scale (Severity of Illness and Improvement of Illness scales), Personal and Social Performance Scale, and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale were calculated.ResultsA total of 277 outpatients were enrolled (discontinued, n = 164; moderate engagement, n = 63; high engagement, n = 50). All groups experienced symptom improvement from baseline to end-of-study, with significant changes in the more-engaged groups. Highly engaged participants showed significant improvement for all clinical scores and subscores (all P < 0.05) and demonstrated significantly more improvement in symptoms than participants with less engagement.ConclusionParticipants who completed 3 months of the study and had higher AS engagement experienced significantly greater improvement in their end-of-study clinical assessments versus participants who did not complete 3 months. Improvement may be related to more-consistent medication intake and better engagement with a digital health system.

Healthcare Provider Engagement with a Novel Dashboard for Tracking Medication Ingestion: Impact on Treatment Decisions and Clinical Assessments for Adults with Schizophrenia.

PurposeSchizophrenia is a severe, chronic condition accounting for disproportionate healthcare utilization. Antipsychotics can reduce relapse rates, but the characteristics of schizophrenia may hinder medication adherence. A phase 3b open-label clinical trial used aripiprazole tablets with sensor (AS; includes pills with ingestible event-marker, wearable sensor patches and smartphone application) in adults with schizophrenia. This post hoc analysis explored how healthcare providers’ (HCPs) usage of a dashboard that provided medication ingestion information impacted treatment decisions and clinical assessments.Patients and MethodsParticipants used AS for 3–6 months. HCPs were instructed to check the dashboard regularly, identify features used, and report impact on treatment decisions. After stratifying HCPs by frequency of dashboard checks and resulting treatment decisions, changes from baseline were calculated for Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Clinical Global Impression (CGI)–Severity of Illness and CGI-Improvement (CGI-I), and Personal and Social Performance (PSP), and compared using Mann–Whitney U-tests and rank-biserial correlation coefficient (r) effect sizes.ResultsTo ensure sufficient opportunity for AS engagement, 113 participants who completed ≥3 months on study were analyzed. HCPs most often accessed dashboard data regarding medication ingestion and missed doses. HCPs recommended adherence counseling and participant education most often. Participants whose HCPs used the dashboard more and recommended adherence counseling and participant education (n=61) improved significantly more than participants with less dashboard-active HCPs (n=49) in CGI-I mean score (2.9 versus 3.4 [p=0.004]), total PANSS (mean change: −9.2 versus −3.1 [p=0.0002]), PANSS positive subscale (−3.2 versus −1.5 [p=0.003]), PANSS general subscale (−4.3 versus −1.2 [p=0.02]), and Marder factor for negative symptoms (−1.9 versus 0.0 [p=0.03]). Most HCPs found the dashboard easy to use (74%) and helpful for improving conversations with participants about their treatment plan and progress (78%).ConclusionThis provider dashboard may facilitate discussions with patients about regular medication-taking, which can improve patient outcomes.

Flexible, self-powered sensors for estimating human head kinematics relevant to concussions

The present work demonstrates the development of a flexible, self-powered sensor patch that can be used to estimate angular acceleration and angular velocity, which are two essential markers for predicting concussions. The device monitors the dynamic strain experienced by the neck through a thin, polypropylene-based ferroelectret nanogenerator that produces a voltage pulse with profile proportional to strain. The intrinsic property of this device to convert mechanical input to electrical output, along with its flexibility and sim 100 mum thickness makes it a viable and practical device to be used as a wearable patch for athletes in high-contact sports. After processing the dynamic behavior of the produced voltage, a correspondence between the electric signal profile and the measurements from accelerometers integrated inside a human head and neck substitute was found. This demonstrates the ability of obtaining an electronic signature that can be used to extract head kinematics during collision, and creates a marker that could be used to detect concussions. Unlike accelerometer-based current trends on concussion-detection systems, which rely on sensors integrated in the athlete’s helmet, the flexible patch attached to the neck would provide information on the dynamics of the head movement, thus eliminating the potential of false readings from helmet sliding or peak angular acceleration.

Stretchable Non‐Enzymatic Fuel Cell‐Based Sensor Patch Integrated with Thread‐Embedded Microfluidics for Self‐Powered Wearable Glucose Monitoring

AbstractWearable sensor patches for continuous or intermittent monitoring of biomolecules from body fluids are highly desired as a stretchable integrated platform conformable and attachable to the human body. However, realizing such integrated sensor patches is very challenging because of the difficulty of achieving full stretchability, controlling transport of the body fluid, and minimizing power consumption. In this study, a stretchable and self‐powered microfluidic‐integrated sensor patch comprising a stretchable non‐enzymatic fuel cell‐based sweat glucose sensor and a stretchable cotton thread‐embedded microfluidic device is demonstrated. To endow the fuel cell‐based glucose sensor with stretchability, the anode and cathode electrodes with catalytic nanoporous Au (NPG) and NPG coated with Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs@NPG), respectively, are formed on an omnidirectionally stretchable substrate with a three‐dimensional micropattern that can effectively absorb the stress generated during deformation. In addition, a stretchable microfluidic device made by embedding cotton thread into a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) channel for powerless constant absorption and sweat flow is integrated into the fuel cell structure. The fully stretchable microfluidic‐integrated self‐powered sensor patch demonstrates excellent continuous monitoring of the sweat glucose concentration.

An IoT-based interoperable architecture for wireless biomonitoring of patients with sensor patches

The alliance between the Internet of Things (IoT) and healthcare has the potential to improve healthcare assistance at different stages of care through distributed vital sign sensing, paving the way for domiciliary hospitalization. In this work, we propose an innovative design for an IoT-based interoperable healthcare system to wirelessly monitor and classify patient status. To support our research, we identify gaps, and discuss standards, protocols and technologies based on works that use relevant IoT applications in healthcare. The proposed architecture is centered on several low-energy unobtrusive sensors attached to the patients’ bodies, as well as their beds, which encompass data acquisition nodes linked to a smart gateway that aggregates data. The smart gateway is integrated with an existing hospital information system through the exchange of Electronic Health Records (EHR), making relevant patient data easily available to health professionals on systems which are familiar to them. A use case scenario is presented in order to fulfill functional and non-functional requirements and provide a better understanding of connection and communication between the distinct entities of the proposed architecture, which is based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology at the data acquisition level, the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol at the internal level, and on the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard at the higher level.

Stretchable printed device for the simultaneous sensing of temperature and strain validated in a mouse wound healing model

Temperature and strain are two vital parameters that play a significant role in wound diagnosis and healing. As periodic temperature measurements with a custom thermometer or strain measurements with conventional metallic gauges became less feasible for the modern competent health monitoring, individual temperature and strain measurement modalities incorporated into wearables and patches were developed. The proposed research in the article shows the development of a single sensor solution which can simultaneously measure both the above mentioned parameters. This work integrates a thermoelectric principle based temperature measurement approach into wearables, ensuring flexibility and bendability properties without affecting its thermo-generated voltage. The modified thermoelectric material helped to achieve stretchability of the sensor, thanks to its superior mechano-transduction properties. Moreover, the stretch-induced resistance changes become an additional marker for strain measurements so that both the parameters can be measured with the same sensor. Due to the independent measurement parameters (open circuit voltage and sensor resistance), the sensing model is greatly attractive for measurements without cross-sensitivity. The highly resilient temperature and strain sensor show excellent linearity, repeatability and good sensitivity. Besides, due to the compatibility of the fabrication scheme to low-temperature processing of the flexible materials and to mass volume production, printed fabrication methodologies were adopted to realize the sensor. This promises low-cost production and a disposable nature (single use) of the sensor patch. For the first time, this innovative temperature-strain dual parameter sensor concept has been tested on mice wounds in vivo. The preliminary experiments on mice wounds offer prospects for developing smart, i.e. sensorized, wound dressings for clinical applications.

Untethered triboelectric patch for wearable smart sensing and energy harvesting

Wearable triboelectric devices have been widely used for sensing and energy harvesting applications, and further improving the compactness will enhance the convenience and comfortability. In this work, an easy-fabricated and compact untethered triboelectric patch is proposed with Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as triboelectric layer and human body as conductor. We find that the conductive characteristic of human body has negligible influence on the outputs, and the untethered triboelectric patch has good output ability and robustness. The proposed untethered triboelectric patches can work as sensor patches and energy harvester patches. Three typical applications are demonstrated, which are machine learning assisted objects distinguishing with accuracy up to 93.09–94.91 %, wireless communication for sending typical words to a cellphone, and human motions energy harvesting for directly powering electronics or charging an energy storage device.

Molecularly imprinted polymer on roll-to-roll printed electrodes as a single use sensor for monitoring of cortisol in sweat

Cortisol is involved in regulating many human physiological functions, with cortisol imbalance capable of causing adverse mental and physical health conditions. Existing tools for monitoring of cortisol can assist in alerting the need for mediation strategies, but these typically require time consuming processes such as sample preparation followed by laboratory analysis. This work demonstrates a miniature flexible sensor patch incorporating electrode structures produced by high throughput roll-to-roll rotary screen-printing process, which are subsequently functionalized by electropolymerization of a polypyrrole/Prussian blue molecularly imprinted polymer for measuring cortisol by chronoamperometry. The developed single use sensor patch provides acceptable selectivity for cortisol and operates in artificial eccrine perspiration across a broad concentration range of 0.1–10 000 ng ml−1 (R 2 = 0.916). In the application of measuring thermally induced sweat, the sensor provided results in agreement with the natural circadian rhythm of fluctuating cortisol.

Flexible tensile strain-pressure sensor with an off-axis deformation-insensitivity

The high demand for flexible force sensors with both strain and pressure sensing has attracted considerable attention for various application scenarios, such as electronic skins and smart prostheses. However, successful application of these sensors in real-world is challenging because the performance of the sensors can be severely degraded under applied off-axial deformations (e.g., bending and twisting) and it is also difficult to successfully decouple these signals due to electromechanical crosstalk. Here, we developed an integrated sensor patch (ISP) consisting of a strain sensor insensitive to pressure, bending and twisting, coupled with a pressure sensor insensitive to tension, bending and twisting. Benefiting from the serpentine structure and bionic design of strain sensor material, as well as the inherent rigidity properties of the piezoelectric ceramic, the resulting patch exhibits insensitivity to off-axis sensing with independent tensile strain and out-of-plane pressure sensing capabilities. The patch achieves a wide range of tensile strains (up to 160% with an apparent pressure coefficient of over 1.23) and a wide range of pressures (1 Pa to 100 kPa). We demonstrate that the wearable ISP can interact human gestures with the robotic hand in real time through a fully soft integrated glove and further continuously record wrist activity to verify tensile strain sensing independent of pressure mode. In addition, the ISP successfully captures the subtle strain of less than 20% of eye blinks and the ultra-low pressure of less than 1.2 kPa of unobtrusive exhalation force with low off-axis interference. Moving forward, this strategy of endowing sensors with off-axis sensing insensitivity and decoupled strain and pressure sensing has great potential in human-machine interface (HMI), virtual reality (VR)/augmented reality (AR) user interfaces, and other soft electronics fields.

A Scalable Laser‐Centric Fabrication of an Epidermal Cardiopulmonary Patch

AbstractRecent advances in scalable fabrication methods based on printing technologies have improved the yield and lowered the cost of manufacturing epidermal sensors. However, modern technologies still require expensive multi‐bio‐ink raw materials. A laser‐centric fabrication method that realizes a cost‐effective, scalable, and streamlined fabrication process with easily used material and equipment is reported. The fabricated epidermal patch can quickly respond to the demands of personalized models. Here, the epidermal sensor patch is applied to continuous monitoring of the human cardiopulmonary system. The sensor performs conventional bio‐signal monitoring but is also extendible to other monitoring forms. The patch provides enhanced functions through its gas‐permeable and skin‐adhesive microporous layer and its stretchable, conformal, and biocompatible multimodal sensing layer. The utility of the proposed sensor patch in clinical diagnosis in a mobile healthcare environment is demonstrated in multiple bio‐signal‐morphology analyses.

A pilot study to assess the efficacy of VCare predict in early detection of pressure ulcer

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt; The aim of the study to evaluate the efficiency of ‘VCare’ predict for early diagnosis of pressure ulcers/bedsores/pressure injury are a type of injury that breaks down the skin and underlying tissue leading to reddening of the skin to severe, deep craters with exposed muscle or bone necrosis. A pilot study was carried out to assess and compare efficacy of VCare predict and standard of care (SOC) in prediction of pressure ulcer among the high-risk patients being hospitalized.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; The 30 female or male subjects aged ˃60 years were selected with inform consent and enrolled in the study. The efficiency of VCare predict was evaluated by comparison of arm A (VCare predict) and arm B SOC. The sensor patch is placed under sacrum for 30 seconds. It captures key parameters and transfer to the mobile app thru blue-tooth. Mobile app receives measured data, and it shows the risk level of the patient (Red, Yellow and Green) to recommend the frequency of flip to predict the early diagnosis of severity of pressure ulcer.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; The study results exemplified that efficiency of VCare predict which is more efficiently (with 31.4% lesser flips in Arm A) predict pressure injury leading to further complications.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;This study was concluded that VCare predict can be a highly effective risk assessment and mitigation tool in pressure ulcer management. With VCare predict, there was no adverse event found or experienced, hence it is a safer tool to use.&lt;/p&gt;

Phase 3b Multicenter, Prospective, Open-label Trial to Evaluate the Effects of a Digital Medicine System on Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitalization Rates for Adults With Schizophrenia

Objective: Inpatient psychiatric admissions drive the financial burden of schizophrenia, and medication adherence remains challenging. We assessed whether aripiprazole tablets with sensor (AS; system includes ingestible event-marker sensor, wearable sensor patches, and smartphone application) could reduce psychiatric hospitalizations compared with oral standard-of-care (SOC) antipsychotics.Methods: This phase 3b, mirror-image clinical trial was conducted from April 29, 2019-August 11, 2020, in adults with schizophrenia with ≥ 1 hospitalization in the previous 48 months who had been prescribed oral SOC for the preceding 6 months (retrospective phase). All participants used AS for at least 3 months and up to 6 months. Primary endpoint was the inpatient psychiatric hospitalization rate in the modified intent-to-treat (mITT; n = 113) population during prospective months 1-3 versus retrospective phase. Proportion of days covered by medication was the secondary endpoint. Safety endpoints included adverse events related to the medication or patch and suicidality.Results: AS significantly reduced hospitalizations during prospective months 1-3 (-9.7%) and months 1-6 (-21.3% [P ≤ .001 for all comparisons]) in the mITT population versus the corresponding retrospective phase. AS use improved confirmed medication ingestion by 26.5 percentage points in prospective months 1-3 (P ≤ .001) and reduced PANSS scores. Patches were well-tolerated, and no participant reported changes in suicide risk.Conclusions: Compared with oral SOC, AS reduced inpatient psychiatric hospitalization rates for adults with mild-to-moderate schizophrenia. The AS system may aid medication ingestion and is associated with improvements in symptoms, potentially reducing acute-care needs among patients with schizophrenia.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03892889.