Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• A flexible multimodal proximity–pressure–temperature sensing patch with a simple structure was developed. • Thanks to structural design and material synthesis, the sensor has an outstanding temperature sensitivity of 0.5 °C−1 with good linearity, a high pressure sensitivity of 30.6 kPa−1 and a non-contact sensing range is 2 m. • After the multimodal sensing patches are integrated at different locations of the pillow, the sleeping conditions can be monitored comfortably. • The integration of a one-dimensional convolutional neural network enables tracking of head movement and recognition of bad sleep patterns, offering a promising approach for unconstraint sleep monitoring.
Abstract
Sleep monitoring is an important part of health management because sleep quality is crucial for restoration of human health. However, current commercial products of polysomnography are cumbersome with connecting wires and state-of-the-art flexible sensors are still interferential for being attached to the body. Herein, we develop a flexible-integrated multimodal sensing patch based on hydrogel and its application in unconstraint sleep monitoring. The patch comprises a bottom hydrogel-based dual-mode pressure–temperature sensing layer and a top electrospun nanofiber-based non-contact detection layer as one integrated device. The hydrogel as core substrate exhibits strong toughness and water retention, and the multimodal sensing of temperature, pressure, and non-contact proximity is realized based on different sensing mechanisms with no crosstalk interference. The multimodal sensing function is verified in a simulated real-world scenario by a robotic hand grasping objects to validate its practicability. Multiple multimodal sensing patches integrated on different locations of a pillow are assembled for intelligent sleep monitoring. Versatile human–pillow interaction information as well as their evolution over time are acquired and analyzed by a one-dimensional convolutional neural network. Track of head movement and recognition of bad patterns that may lead to poor sleep are achieved, which provides a promising approach for sleep monitoring.
1. Introduction
With the fast development of economic levels and living standards, people pay increasing attention to health status. Among various aspects of health management, sleep monitoring is an important one, because around one-third of a person’s life is spent in sleep and the quality of sleep is crucial for the restoration of human health. Even though traditional sleep monitoring methods, such as polysomnography (PSG) and portable devices, can provide detailed sleep data, they must be conducted in a fixed testing environment where complex wires are connected to bulky complex equipment, severely limiting their popularized application and popularization in daily life. In contrast, wearable sensors, due to their capabilities in physiological signal detection and posture recognition with small formation and flexible properties, can be utilized as an alternative way for sleep monitoring [1, 2]. But, they still need to be tightly worn on multiple parts of the human body with connecting wires or transmission antennae to acquire the sensing information, which would inevitably interfere with the quiet sleeping experience. Therefore, it is highly desired to develop an effective approach to monitoring sleep in a comfortable unrestricted way. And, to meet the need for the sleeping monitor, multifunctional-integrated sensors have also been developed [3–5]. However, the existing multifunctional-integrated sensors have complex structures (containing more than four layers), and long-term use can lead to interface separation, performance degradation, and reduced wearing comfort. Thus, a multifunctional sensor with little layer structure is needed.
In recent years, wearable sensors have made significant progress in various applications of disease perception, posture detection, and physiological signal monitoring [6–9]. Among available polymer materials as flexible substrates, hydrogels, composed of interlinked polymer networks containing a large content of water, have unique properties [10–12] such as self-adhesive, adjustable conductivity, and similar-to-biological-tissue modulus, and good biocompatibility, making them a promising substrate for flexible sensing devices.
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Peng Wang, Guoqing Wang, Guifen Sun, Chenchen Bao, Yang Li, Chuizhou Meng, Zhao Yao (2025). A Flexible-Integrated Multimodal Hydrogel-Based Sensing Patch. Nano-Micro Letters. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01656-w
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main innovation of this sensing patch?
The main innovation is the integration of three sensing modalities (proximity, pressure, and temperature) into a simple, flexible hydrogel-based patch with no crosstalk interference, enabling comfortable and unconstraint sleep monitoring.
How does the sensing patch achieve multimodal sensing?
The patch consists of a bottom hydrogel-based dual-mode pressure–temperature sensing layer and a top electrospun nanofiber-based non-contact detection layer, each operating on distinct sensing mechanisms to avoid interference.
What are the key performance metrics of the sensor?
The sensor exhibits a temperature sensitivity of 0.5 °C−1 with good linearity, a high pressure sensitivity of 30.6 kPa−1, and a non-contact sensing range of up to 2 meters.
How is the sensor applied in sleep monitoring?
Multiple sensing patches are integrated at different locations of a pillow, and a one-dimensional convolutional neural network analyzes the acquired human–pillow interaction data to track head movement and recognize bad sleep patterns.
What are the advantages of using hydrogel as the substrate?
Hydrogel provides strong toughness, water retention, self-adhesive properties, adjustable conductivity, and biocompatibility, making it an ideal flexible substrate for comfortable and long-term wearable applications.
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