Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
Biosensors (Basel). 2023 Jun 30;13(7):696. doi: 10.3390/bios13070696.
Flexible bioelectronics exhibit promising potential for health monitoring, owing to their soft and stretchable nature. However, the simultaneous improvement of mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and signal-to-noise ratio of these devices for health monitoring poses a significant challenge. Hydrogels, with their loose three-dimensional network structure that encapsulates massive amounts of water, are a potential solution. Through the incorporation of polymers or conductive fillers into the hydrogel and special preparation methods, hydrogels can achieve a unification of excellent properties such as mechanical properties, self-healing, adhesion, and biocompatibility, making them a hot material for health monitoring bioelectronics. Currently, hydrogel-based bioelectronics can be used to fabricate flexible bioelectronics for motion, bioelectric, and biomolecular acquisition for human health monitoring and further clinical applications. This review focuses on materials, devices, and applications for hydrogel-based bioelectronics. The main material properties and research advances of hydrogels for health monitoring bioelectronics are summarized firstly. Then, we provide a focused discussion on hydrogel-based bioelectronics for health monitoring, which are classified as skin-attachable, implantable, or semi-implantable depending on the depth of penetration and the location of the device. Finally, future challenges and opportunities of hydrogel-based bioelectronics for health monitoring are envisioned.
柔性生物电子学因其柔软和可拉伸的特性，在健康监测方面展现出了广阔的应用前景。然而，要同时提高这些用于健康监测的设备的机械性能、生物相容性和信噪比，仍然面临着巨大的挑战。水凝胶具有疏松的三维网络结构，能够包裹大量的水分，因此成为一种潜在的解决方案。通过将聚合物或导电填料掺入水凝胶并采用特殊的制备方法，水凝胶可以实现机械性能、自修复、粘附性和生物相容性等优异性能的统一，使其成为健康监测生物电子学的热门材料。目前，基于水凝胶的生物电子学可用于制造用于人体健康监测和进一步临床应用的柔性生物电子学，用于采集运动、生物电和生物分子信号。本综述重点介绍了基于水凝胶的生物电子学的材料、器件和应用。首先总结了用于健康监测生物电子学的水凝胶的主要材料特性和研究进展。然后，我们重点讨论了用于健康监测的基于水凝胶的生物电子学，根据设备的穿透深度和位置，将其分为可贴附皮肤、可植入或半植入式生物电子学。最后，对用于健康监测的基于水凝胶的生物电子学的未来挑战和机遇进行了展望。
