Stretchable, Self-Healing, and Skin-Mounted Active Sensor for Multipoint Muscle Function Assessment

Abstract

Assessment of muscle function is an essential indicator for estimating elderly health, evaluating motor function, and instructing rehabilitation training, which also sets urgent requirements for mechanical sensors with superior quantification, accuracy, and reliability. To overcome the rigidity and vulnerability of traditional metallic electrodes, we synthesize an ionic hydrogel with large deformation tolerance and fast self-healing ability. And we propose a stretchable, self-healing, and skin-mounted (Triple S) active sensor (TSAS) based on the principles of electrostatic induction and electrostatic coupling. The skin modulus-matched TSAS provides outstanding sensing properties: maximum output voltage of 78.44 V, minimal detection limit of 0.2 mN, fast response time of 1.03 ms, high signal-to-noise ratio and excellent long-term service stability. In training of arm muscle, the functional signals of biceps and triceps brachii muscles as well as the joint dexterity of bending angle can be acquired simultaneously through TSAS. The signal can also be sent wirelessly to a terminal for analysis. With the characteristics of high sensitivity, reliability, convenience, and low-cost, TSAS shows its potential to be the next-generation procedure for real-time assessment of muscle function and rehabilitation training.