Flexible Multiscale Pore Hybrid Self-Powered Sensor for Heart Sound Detection

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Piezoelectric materials are crucial for sensor technology.
• Enhancing sensor sensitivity and frequency response is a key challenge.
• Combining ferroelectric and electret properties offers a potential solution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel bi-nano-micro porous dual ferro-electret hybrid self-powered flexible sensor.
• To investigate the manufacturing process and performance enhancement through porous structure and corona poling.
• To evaluate the sensor's efficacy for wearable heart sound detection and potential in heart disease diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a piezoelectric film with nanoscale and microscale pores using acid etching and electrospinning.
• Application of corona poling for air ionization to achieve an electret effect.
• Performance characterization and experimental validation against a reference heart sound sensor.

Main Results:

• The developed flexible sensor exhibits a high equivalent piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of 3312 pC/N.
• The porous structure and corona poling significantly improve sensor performance.
• Experimental results confirm the sensor's practical applicability for wearable heart sound detection.

Conclusions:

• The proposed sensor demonstrates superior piezoelectric properties compared to conventional materials.
• The flexible sensor is suitable for batch production, offering advantages in flexibility, cost, and processing time.
• This technology holds significant potential for advancing wearable diagnostics and early detection of heart diseases.