Wearable conformal fiber sensor for high fidelity physiological measurements

Abstract

Wearable devices are becoming increasingly common, addressing needs in both the fitness and the medical markets. This trend has accelerated with the growth in telemedicine, particularly during COVID-19. In this paper, we describe a novel polyurethane optical fiber, operating through capillary guidance, that acts as a conformal sensor of pressure or deformation. Used on the wrist and ankle, the sensor allows detailed features of the cardiac pulse wave to be identified with high fidelity, while on the chest it allows the simultaneous measurement of breathing rate and walking cadence. Used together, an array of such sensors (with others) could be incorporated into clothing and provide physiologically rich real-time data for health monitoring