Wearable and biodegradable sensors for clinical and environmental applications

Abstract

This current Review focuses on recent contributions of wearable and biodegradable sensors dedicated to health and environmental applications. Recent examples reported in the literature are presented and critically discussed in order to diagnose diseases and their response to treatment with a focus on cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Advances in devices for body temperature, humidity (skin hydration), human physiological signals, and metal detection in body fluids are demonstrated concerning simple and portable platforms. Studies performed outside the controlled laboratory environment can rapidly help in point-of-care analyses or self-examination by the patients. Environmental approaches are also outlined, aiming at gas detection, metal sensing, and environment humidity, including different substrates showing not only flexible and biodegradable sensors but also wireless detection and data communication. The discussed examples for health and environmental analyses have successfully demonstrated the considerable potential of wearable devices for real-time and on-site applications, highlighting the self-monitoring capacity. Future investigations should consider the device’s operational simplicity with a more straightforward interpretation of results to make them affordable for the market. The huge potential of wearable and biodegradable devices enables them as emerging and powerful platforms for replacing current gold standard methods for rapid health screening and environmental monitoring in the near future. The next trend in the technological field of the development and application of new biodegradable materials to wearable devices should focus on studies involving the stability, toxicity, and biocompatibility of the final devices.