Skin-electrode iontronic interface for mechanosensing

Electrodermal devices that capture the physiological response of skin are crucial for monitoring vital signals, but they often require convoluted layered designs with either electronic or ionic active materials relying on complicated synthesis procedures, encapsulation, and packaging techniques. Here, we report that the ionic transport in living systems can provide a simple mode of iontronic sensing and bypass the need of artificial ionic materials. A simple skin-electrode mechanosensing structure (SEMS) is constructed, exhibiting high pressure-resolution and spatial-resolution, being capable of feeling touch and detecting weak physiological signals such as fingertip pulse under different skin humidity. Our mechanical analysis reveals the critical role of instability in high-aspect-ratio microstructures on sensing. We further demonstrate pressure mapping with millimeter-spatial-resolution using a fully textile SEMS-based glove. The simplicity and reliability of SEMS hold great promise of diverse healthcare applications, such as pulse detection and recovering the sensory capability in patients with tactile dysfunction. Sensing mechanical signals is an important aspect for a range of applications of E-skins. Here, the authors report on the creation of deforming iontronic sensing structures which can use ionic transport through tissues to create a simple and sensitive E-skin for sensing touch, pulse and motion demonstrating application.

Automated summary

The study introduces a simple skin-electrode mechanosensing structure (SEMS) utilizing ion transport in living systems for sensing touch, pulse, and pressure mapping. The mechanical analysis reveals the crucial role of instability in high-aspect-ratio microstructures for sensing. The SEMS shows promise for diverse healthcare applications and recovering sensory capabilities in patients with tactile dysfunction.