Continuous blood pressure (BP) monitoring is of great significance for the real-time monitoring and early prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Recently, wearable BP monitoring devices have made great progress in the development of daily BP monitoring because they adapt to long-term and high-comfort wear requirements. However, the research and development of wearable continuous BP monitoring devices still face great challenges such as obvious motion noise and slow dynamic response speeds. The pulse wave transit time method which is combined with photoplethysmography (PPG) waves and electrocardiogram (ECG) waves for continuous BP monitoring has received wide attention due to its advantages in terms of excellent dynamic response characteristics and high accuracy. Here, we review the recent state-of-art wearable continuous BP monitoring devices and related technology based on the pulse wave transit time; their measuring principles, design methods, preparation processes, and properties are analyzed in detail. In addition, the potential development directions and challenges of wearable continuous BP monitoring devices based on the pulse wave transit time method are discussed.
As the focus on physical health increases, the market demand for flexible wearable sensors increases. Textiles combined with sensitive materials and electronic circuits can form flexible, breathable high-performance sensors for physiological-signal monitoring. Carbon-based materials such as graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and carbon black (CB) have been widely utilized in the development of flexible wearable sensors due to their high electrical conductivity, low toxicity, low mass density, and easy functionalization. This review provides an overview of recent advancements in carbon-based flexible textile sensors, highlighting the development, properties, and applications of graphene, CNTs, and CB for flexible textile sensors. The physiological signals that can be monitored by carbon-based textile sensors include electrocardiogram (ECG), human body movement, pulse and respiration, body temperature, and tactile perception. We categorize and describe carbon-based textile sensors based on the physiological signals they monitor. Finally, we discuss the current challenges associated with carbon-based textile sensors and explore the future direction of textile sensors for monitoring physiological signals.
A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method for measuring nitrate nitrogen in aquaculture water was developed using a substrate of β-cyclodextrin-modified gold nanoparticles (SH-β-CD@AuNPs). Addressing the issues of low sensitivity, narrow linear range, and relatively poor selectivity of single metal nanoparticles in the SERS detection of nitrate nitrogen, we combined metal nanoparticles with cyclodextrin supramolecular compounds to prepare a AuNPs substrate enveloped by cyclodextrin, which exhibits ultra-high selectivity and Raman activity. Subsequently, vanadium(III) chloride was used to convert nitrate ions into nitrite ions. The adsorption mechanism between the reaction product benzotriazole (BTAH) of o-phenylenediamine (OPD) and nitrite ions on the SH-β-CD@AuNPs substrate was studied through SERS, achieving the simultaneous detection of nitrate nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen. The experimental results show that BTAH exhibits distinct SERS characteristic peaks at 1168, 1240, 1375, and 1600 cm−1, with the lowest detection limits of 3.33 × 10−2, 5.84 × 10−2, 2.40 × 10−2, and 1.05 × 10−2 μmol/L, respectively, and a linear range of 0.1–30.0 μmol/L. The proposed method provides an effective tool for the selective and accurate online detection of nitrite and nitrate nitrogen in aquaculture water.
With the development of medical technology and increasing demands of healthcare monitoring, wearable temperature sensors have gained widespread attention because of their portability, flexibility, and capability of conducting real-time and continuous signal detection. To achieve excellent thermal sensitivity, high linearity, and a fast response time, the materials of sensors should be chosen carefully. Thus, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has become one of the most popular materials for temperature sensors due to its exceptional thermal conductivity and sensitive resistance changes in response to different temperatures. Moreover, by using the corresponding preparation methods, rGO can be easily combined with various substrates, which has led to it being extensively applied in the wearable field. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art advances in wearable temperature sensors based on rGO films and summarizes their sensing mechanisms, structure designs, functional material additions, manufacturing processes, and performances. Finally, the possible challenges and prospects of rGO-based wearable temperature sensors are briefly discussed.
This paper presents a thermal gas flow sensing system, from surface acoustic wave (SAW) temperature sensor to oscillation circuit and multi-module miniaturization integration. A single-port GaN/Si SAW resonator with single resonant mode and excellent characteristics was fabricated. Combined with an in-house-developed SiGe HBT, a temperature-sensitive high-frequency oscillator was constructed. Under constant temperature control, system-level flow measurement was achieved through dual-oscillation configuration and modular integration. The fabricated SAW device shows a temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) −28.29 ppm/K and temperature linearity 0.998. The oscillator operates at 1.91 GHz with phase noise of −97.72/−118.62 dBc/Hz at 10/100 kHz offsets. The system demonstrates excellent dynamic response and repeatability, directly measuring 0–50 sccm flows. For higher flows (>50 sccm), a shunt technique extends the test range based on the 0–10 sccm linear region, where response time is <1 s with error <0.9%. Non-contact operation ensures high stability and long lifespan. The sensor shows outstanding performance and broad application prospects in flow measurement.