Octopus-inspired high-sensitivity triboelectric sensor for epidermal pulse monitoring and cardiovascular assessment

Flexible pressure sensors have garnered significant research interest due to their potential applications in continuous cardiac signal monitoring and early prediction of cardiovascular diseases. However, the development of high-sensitive sensors capable of precise epidermal pulse detection and comprehensive cardiovascular parameter extraction remains a critical challenge. Drawing inspiration from the hierarchical morphology of octopus tentacle suckers, this work proposes a novel triboelectric pressure sensor featuring an ordered multi-level hemispherical microstructure, which enables the sensor to effectively capture subtle pressure fluctuations induced by vascular expansion, achieving an enhanced sensitivity of 2.36 V kPa^-1, a rapid response time of 29 ms, and excellent operational stability over 20 000 cycles. By analyzing the acquired pulse wave data under both resting and post-exercise conditions, key cardiovascular parameters, including pulse wave velocity, heart rate, and K value, can be effectively extracted, thereby establishing a robust framework for noninvasive cardiovascular health assessment. Given its high performance and adaptability, the proposed sensor holds considerable promise for applications in personalized healthcare, particularly in continuous pulse monitoring and advanced hemodynamic analysis.