Humidity sensors have been widely used in areas such as agriculture, environmental conservation, medicine, instrumentation and climatology. Hydrophobicity is one of the important factors in capacitive humidity sensors: recent research has shown that the inclusion of graphene (G) in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) improves its hydrophobicity. In this context, a methodology to fabricate electrospun membranes of PVDF blended with G was developed in order to improve the PVDF properties allowing the use of PVDF/G membrane as a capacitive humidity sensor. Micrographs of membranes were obtained by scanning electron microscopy to analyze the morphology of the fabricated samples. Subsequently, the capacitive response of the membrane, which showed an almost linear and directly proportional response to humidity, was tested. Results showed that the response time of PVDF/G membrane was faster than that of a commercial DHT11 sensor. In summary, PVDF/G membranes exhibit interesting properties as humidity sensors.

An ear prosthesis was designed in 3D computer graphics software and fabricated using a 3D printing process of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) for use as a hearing aid. In addition, the prosthesis response to pressure and temperature was observed. Pyroelectric and piezoelectric properties of this ear prosthesis were investigated using an astable multivibrator circuit, as changes in PVDF permittivity were observed according to variations of pressure and temperature. The results show that this prosthesis is reliable for use under different conditions of pressure (0 Pa to 16,350 Pa) and temperature (2 °C to 90 °C). The experimental results show an almost linear and inversely proportional behavior between the stimuli of pressure and temperature with the frequency response. This 3D-printed ear prosthesis is a promising tool and has a great potentiality in the biomedical engineering field because of its ability to generate an electrical potential proportional to pressure and temperature, and it is the first time that such a device has been processed by the additive manufacturing process (3D printing). More work needs to be carried out to improve the performance, such as electrical stimulation of the nervous system, thereby extending the purpose of a prosthesis to the area of sensory perception.

Respiratory and heart rates are among the most important physiological parameters used to monitor patients’ health. It is important to design devices that can measure these parameters without risking or altering the subject’s health. In this context, a novel sensing method to monitor simultaneously the heartbeat and respiratory rate signals of patients within an electrically safety environment was developed and tested. An optical fiber-based sensor was used in order to detect two optical phenomena. Photo-plethysmography and the relation between bending radius and attenuation of optical fiber were coupled through a single beam light traveling along this fiber.

Sensors based on a conducting polymer, Polypyrrole (PPy), were fabricated to measure physiological variables used in clinical medicine as electrocardiography, impedance plethysmography and body temperature. The fabrication process was also described, which had the advantage of producing disposable or even reusable electrodes. The electrodes were fabricated as membranes or bulk elements according to the requirements for their use. Furthermore, using a PPy/Polylactic acid (PLA) composite, a sensor flexible wristband for continuously measuring body temperature was also fabricated; changes in the PPy/PLA membrane resistivity were observed according to variations of temperature, thus, the response was characterized. Experimental results showed an almost linear and inversely proportional behavior between the temperature and the resistance of the PPy/PLA wristband sensor. The sensors-electrodes based on PPy have transducing functions and show the versatility of non-metallic elements for biomedical uses. This proposed system is a promising tool for medical care due to its reliability for using over a long period of time; thereby, making life easier for medical staff and increasing the quality of medical care for patients.

This work reports on the development of a Lead Lanthanum Zirconate Titanate (PLZT) bulk ferroelectric poled ceramic structure as a Piezoelectric Plethysmograph (PZPG) sensor. The ceramic was implanted during its fabrication with a platinum (Pt) wire which works as an internal electrode. The ceramic was then submitted to an experimental setup in order to validate and determine the Pt-wire mechanical effects. This PZPG sensor was also mounted on a finger splint in order to measure the blood flow that results from the pulsations of blood occurring with each heartbeat. Fingertip pulses were recorded jointly with an ECG signal from a 25 year old male to compare the time shift; the PZPG sensor guarantees the electrical isolation of the patient. The proposed PZPG has several advantages: it can be adjusted for fingertip measurements, but it can easily be extended by means of spare bands, therefore making possible PZPG measurements from different body locations, e.g., forehead, forearm, knee, neck, etc.