Hybrid multimodal wearable sensors for comprehensive health monitoring

Abstract

Wearable bioelectronic sensors are often used for health monitoring but are typically limited to a few physical or chemical parameters, which hinders their ability to provide a complete health assessment. Recently, wearable sensor platforms have been developed that can simultaneously and continuously record multiple biophysical and biochemical signals. These devices take advantage of advances in electronic device fabrication and miniaturization, bioelectronic sensors, and flexible materials. However, compared with existing wearable systems, which mostly contain either biochemical or biophysical sensors, hybrid multimodal wearable patches present a number of distinct challenges for further advancement. Here, we examine the development of such hybrid multimodal wearable sensors and explore their potential applications in tracking the health and disease status of different users. We highlight the key biomarkers and vital signs (related to various pathophysiological conditions) that hybrid bioelectronic sensor systems must be designed around. We also explore how artificial intelligence could be integrated with these hybrid multimodal sensors to offer wearers the ability to assess their health status in real time. This Review examines the development and potential of wearable sensor systems that use multiple physical and chemical sensing modalities to assess human health.