Research Progress in Self-Powered Pressure Sensors for Internet of Healthcare

To mitigate the risks posed by noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) to human health, the Internet of Healthcare (IoH) requires sensors with real-time and long-term monitoring capabilities. However, traditional pressure sensors, due to their high-power consumption and non-rechargeability, are unbale to meet the increasingly stringent requirements of physiological monitoring devices in the IoH. The emergence of self-powered pressure sensing technology, exemplified by nanogenerators, provides a new strategy for the next generation of wearable health monitoring devices. This review begins by discussing the merits and drawbacks of different pressure-sensing modes for healthcare monitoring. Then, it introduces the development and working mechanism of self-powered triboelectric and piezoelectric sensors. Furthermore, it summarizes the optimizations of sensor structure and material selection aimed at improving sensing performance and achieving high accuracy in sensor networks within the IoH. Relevant application based on independent, or hybrid mechanisms are also covered. Finally, the challenges and prospects for achieving large-scale commercial applications of self-power sensing system in IoH are discussed.