Nuria López-Ruiz , María Agea , Alberto J. Palma , Pablo Escobedo , Antonio Martínez-Olmos
{"title":"A novel bed-based ballistocardiography system for non-contact monitoring of vital signs, apneas and arrhythmias via smartphone integration","authors":"Nuria López-Ruiz , María Agea , Alberto J. Palma , Pablo Escobedo , Antonio Martínez-Olmos","doi":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117058","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117058","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work presents a novel remote ballistocardiography system designed for continuous monitoring of individuals lying in bed. The system utilizes video recordings of a tracking marker placed on the side of the mattress. By processing the motion of this marker, ballistocardiographic waveforms are generated, capturing mattress displacements caused by cardiac activity, respiration, and body movements. The longitudinal and transverse axes of the mattress naturally separate the contributions of cardiac and respiratory signals within the ballistocardiography waveform. This orthogonal separation enables the independent analysis of each component, thereby enhancing the accuracy of heart and respiratory rate estimations. The system’s high resolution and sensitivity enable not only the reliable extraction of the subject's vital signs, but also the detection of activity episodes—both voluntary and involuntary—alongside physiological anomalies such as sleep apnea and cardiac arrhythmias. The simplicity of the proposed setup offers significant advantages over conventional ballistocardiography systems by eliminating the need for integrated sensors and periodic calibration, and by mitigating common challenges in remote ballistocardiography applications, including susceptibility to ambient lighting conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21689,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators A-physical","volume":"395 ","pages":"Article 117058"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maher Jdir , Saba Aziz , Marwa El Beji , Anna Grazia Monteduro , Giuseppe Maruccio , Mohsen Erouel , Slah Mansouri , Lassaad El Mir
{"title":"Room-temperature isopropanol sensor via In/Mg co-doped P3HT-ZnO nanocomposite with enhanced selectivity","authors":"Maher Jdir , Saba Aziz , Marwa El Beji , Anna Grazia Monteduro , Giuseppe Maruccio , Mohsen Erouel , Slah Mansouri , Lassaad El Mir","doi":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117059","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117059","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A novel room-temperature gas sensor based on nanocomposite poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/ (In, Mg) co-doped ZnO as an active layer is developed for room-temperature isopropanol detection application. The (In, Mg) co-doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesised by the sol-gel method and dispersed in the P3HT matrix before spin-coating on interdigitated electrodes to form the sensing layer. Thin films are characterised by X-ray diffraction, high crystallinity of (In, Mg) co-doped ZnO, and a crystalline size of 27–45 nmwas found.The X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) analysis reveals the incorporation of indium and magnesium into the ZnO lattice. The UV–visible spectroscopy showed high absorption in the UV and visible regions, corresponding to ZnO and P3HT maximum absorption. The sensors were tested on isopropanol at room temperature. It was found that sensors poly (3-hexylthiophene)/(In,Mg) co-doped ZnO exhibit the best sensing performance. A particular result corresponding to the enhancement of sensing performance was illustrated. The synergy effect of each doping element can be observed in the co-doped samples. Indeed, the indium improves the sensitivity of the composite thin films. At the same time, magnesium reduces the response times.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21689,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators A-physical","volume":"395 ","pages":"Article 117059"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145059889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Caini Yang , Mushui Shu , Chunying Yuan , Tong Dou , Ling Guo , Zhizhen Xu , Jingyi Wang , Dongsheng Wang
{"title":"Design of water-based conductive inks with enhanced printability, conductivity, and anti-fouling ability","authors":"Caini Yang , Mushui Shu , Chunying Yuan , Tong Dou , Ling Guo , Zhizhen Xu , Jingyi Wang , Dongsheng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117055","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117055","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Disposable electrochemical sensors are increasingly used in food safety, environmental monitoring fields, etc., creating strong demand for electrode conductive inks. Herein, four kinds of eco-friendly water-based inks were formulated using green polymers shellac (SHL), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and sodium alginate (SA) as adhesives and graphite as the main conductive material. The formulated inks were suitable for electrode printing after optimizing the ratio of the adhesives and conductive materials in inks. The adhesion strength and electrochemical performance of the inks presented strong substrate dependence on PET, filter paper, printer paper and camera paper. All the inks showed obvious solid-like properties. The PEG ink had good rheological properties and high stability while maintaining high conductivity. The electrode prepared by PEG ink showed stronger water wettability and anti-fouling ability for typical foulants in environmental samples than those by the other inks. This work provides a sustainable, low-cost solution for electrochemical sensing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21689,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators A-physical","volume":"395 ","pages":"Article 117055"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Progress in polysaccharide-based conductive hydrogels: Natural sources, functional types, and their roles in energy and biomedical applications","authors":"Wilson M. Seleka, Edwin Makhado","doi":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polysaccharides, as the most abundant and renewable natural polymers, serve a crucial role in the advancement of hydrogel materials due to their inherent biodegradability, biocompatibility, and functional modifiability. Polysaccharide-based conductive hydrogels have attracted significant popularity within the field of flexible electronics as a result of their excellent electrical conductivity, mechanical flexibility, environmental sustainability, and ability to interface seamlessly with biological tissues. This review offers an in-depth discussion of recent developments in this rapidly evolving area, beginning with an introduction to commonly used polysaccharide materials such as chitosan, cellulose, starch, carboxymethyl cellulose, agarose, and carrageenan. It reviews their molecular structures, functional groups, and modification strategies that enable electrical conductivity, including blending with conductive fillers (e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene, and metal nanoparticles) and chemical doping. Furthermore, the review examines various preparation methods such as physical crosslinking, chemical crosslinking, and freeze-thaw techniques and their impact on hydrogel performance. It explores critical properties such as mechanical strength, stretchability, self-healing ability, environmental resistance (e.g., anti-freezing and anti-drying), ionic/electronic conductivity, and transparency. The multifunctionality of these hydrogels is emphasised by their wide range of applications, including but not limited to: wound healing, wearable sensors, artificial skin, energy storage devices (such as supercapacitors and batteries), fuel cells, solar cells, and gas sensors. Finally, the paper discusses existing problems and suggests future research directions for polysaccharide-based conductive hydrogels in flexible electronics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21689,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators A-physical","volume":"395 ","pages":"Article 117046"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amensisa Negasa Begi , Zhihao Li , Bin Liu , Lemi Lechisa Sirnessa , Jesse Nii Okai Amu-Darko , Shahid Hussain , Guiwu Liu , Hongchao Wang
{"title":"MOF synthesis of Sn-doped Co3O4 nanosheets for trace carbon monoxide gas sensing","authors":"Amensisa Negasa Begi , Zhihao Li , Bin Liu , Lemi Lechisa Sirnessa , Jesse Nii Okai Amu-Darko , Shahid Hussain , Guiwu Liu , Hongchao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117054","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117054","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Significant promise for carbon monoxide (CO) detection has been shown by a recently developed Sn-doped Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanosheet material. Sn-doped Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanosheets with different Sn concentrations were synthesized using a simple solvothermal technique. A response value of 31 toward 50 ppm of CO at 150 °C was obtained by analyzing the effect of Sn doping on the CO detection capability, which showed a significant improvement in both sensitivity and selectivity. Furthermore, the effect of relative humidity was evaluated at a fixed CO concentration of 30 ppm, and the Sn-doped Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanosheets were found to have good humidity resistance. The calculated detection and quantification limits confirmed the accuracy and reliability of the sensor for CO measurements. Overall, our results highlight Sn-doped Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanosheets as highly effective CO sensors, where Sn incorporation enhances the sensing capability by generating more oxygen vacancies and active adsorption sites, making them attractive for practical CO monitoring applications in diverse industries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21689,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators A-physical","volume":"395 ","pages":"Article 117054"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Babatunde Olamide Omiyale , Akinola Ogbeyemi , Muhammad Awais Ashraf , Ki-Young Song , Wenjun Chris Zhang
{"title":"Towards robust flexible electronics: Fabrication approaches and ongoing research challenges","authors":"Babatunde Olamide Omiyale , Akinola Ogbeyemi , Muhammad Awais Ashraf , Ki-Young Song , Wenjun Chris Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117053","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117053","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flexible electronics (FEs) revolutionize wearable technology, medical and bio-integrated devices, and robotics systems, allowing soft, lightweight systems to conform to complex surfaces and dynamic environments. They are crucial for soft robots, wearable robots, and bio-integrated systems. However, designing them to be efficient and practically useful to a targeted application has proved challenging. Multiple definitions of flexible electronics components exist in the literature, each representing varying levels of guidelines for the design and construction of stretchable circuits for robots and bio-integrated systems. This paper presents a comprehensive definition of FEs components, intending to provide scientists and engineers with a foundational understanding of these components for their practical design and construction. In robotic applications, one key advantage of FE is its ability to enhance robot traits, making them softer, smarter, and more sensitive, with qualities comparable to those of humans. Despite its advantages, this technology still faces several challenges, such as ensuring sensor precision, scaling up from prototypes to mass production, and integrating FE into soft robots without compromising their flexibility. For such soft robots, it is crucial to have lightweight, durable power sources and the capability to process large amounts of sensor data in real-time to facilitate safe human interaction. The key challenges in FEs include maintaining both electrical conductivity and stretchability, as well as developing materials that are biocompatible and biodegradable for use in medical and wearable robotics. This paper reviews recent state-of-the-art advancements in the fabrication of micro- and nano-scale FE components and highlights key research issues, proposing directions for future research to bridge the knowledge gaps.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21689,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators A-physical","volume":"395 ","pages":"Article 117053"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145045751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Study on the performance of graphene-enhanced cementitious piezoresistive sensors in self-sensing concrete members","authors":"Ruoyan Pan , Fanghao Chen , Qian Feng , Qiang Zeng , Zhicheng Zhang , Rongqiao Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117050","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117050","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cementitious composites incorporating conductive fillers exhibit piezoresistive properties, where their electrical resistance changes in response to applied stress. This characteristic makes them ideal for use in cement-based sensors. In this study, graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were utilized as conductive fillers to fabricate graphene-enhanced cementitious composite sensors (GCBS), and their piezoresistive behavior was thoroughly investigated. Self-sensing concrete members were casted by embedding GCBS into concrete beams and columns. The self-sensing capability of these members, including stress variation detection, damage progression monitoring, and vibration property assessment, were evaluated through both static and dynamic testing. Static tests revealed that the GCBS effectively responded to applied loads, with resistance decreasing consistently as stress increased.Furthermore, the GCBS demonstrated the ability to detect the progression of internal cracks within the concrete members. Dynamic tests indicated that the GCBS could identify the frequencies of the concrete members, exhibiting hightened sensitivity to high-frequency vibrations. However, polarization effects introduced significant low-frequency noise, which reduced the accuracy of the GCBS, particularly for low-frequency signals. This study highlights the potential of cement-based piezoresistive sensors as a promising solution for advancing self-sensing technology in concrete structures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21689,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators A-physical","volume":"395 ","pages":"Article 117050"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145045748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yiran Liu , Yongsheng Li , Yihua Kang , Yiru Xiao , Kai Wang , Bo Feng
{"title":"Eddy current testing of broken wires in thickly insulated cables using planer-3D hybrid coils","authors":"Yiran Liu , Yongsheng Li , Yihua Kang , Yiru Xiao , Kai Wang , Bo Feng","doi":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117049","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117049","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As critical components in high-speed train systems, connecting cables endure harsh operating conditions—thermal cycling, overvoltage transients, and mechanical vibrations—which may induce wire breakage. Such failures present critical safety risks, potentially triggering operational interruptions, necessitating reliable non-destructive testing (NDT) methodologies for cable integrity evaluation. This paper proposes a flexible eddy current probe with a hybrid structure to detect broken wires in thickly insulated cables, such as those used in high-speed rail. The probe utilizes a flexible rectangular planar coil (FRPC) fabricated on a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) as an exciter, integrated with differential three-dimensional (3D) race-track receiver coils. Combining the large field excitation capability of the planar coil and the high sensitivity of the 3D sensing coils significantly improves probe lift-off tolerance. Furthermore, an innovative asymmetric differential receiver structure effectively suppresses common-mode interference while overcoming dead zones and weak magnetic field gradients inherent in traditional symmetric differential methods. This enables reliable broken wire detection under significant lift-off conditions. Experimental results confirm the probe detects 0.18 mm diameter wire breaks at 8 mm lift-off with a 38.4 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Offering simplified system configuration, the probe provides an effective solution for NDT of in-service cables.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21689,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators A-physical","volume":"395 ","pages":"Article 117049"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145045749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kai Wang , Xuanyu Huang , Xiaojian Xiang , Ran Zhang , Dengyin Zhang
{"title":"A permanent-soft magnetic coupled bi-stable architecture for high-performance MEMS electromagnetic energy harvester","authors":"Kai Wang , Xuanyu Huang , Xiaojian Xiang , Ran Zhang , Dengyin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117047","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117047","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents a novel permanent-soft magnetic coupled bi-stable architecture for high-performance MEMS electromagnetic energy harvester. With comprehensive consideration from both aspects of electrical and mechanical component, permalloy magnetic circuit is integrated inside micro-solenoid, which could not only bring increased wire-turns, but also enable strengthened flux density inside micro-solenoid. Moreover, magnetization-reversible of closed magnetic circuit could be enabled with cooperation of antiparallelly-positioned magnetic pair, which is beneficial for higher electromechanical coupling effect by maximizing flux variation rate. Furthermore, with specific mechanical stiffness tuning of the developed bi-stable architecture, barrier depth and well gap could be separately adjusted for spectrum tuning of high-energy inter-well oscillation, and thus induce high-level electromechanical coupling maintaining within wideband low-frequency region. Analytical and experimental result consistently demonstrate that 10-times increased electromechanical coupling of 0.14 could be achieved compared to the counterpart adopting air-cored solenoid, which brings 6 times and 37 times increased in voltage (82.8 mV) and power output (163.2 μW), respectively. Moreover, at weak excitation with acceleration of 0.5 g, the fully-integrated prototype shows continuous inter-well oscillation bandwidth of 74 Hz (24–98 Hz), which covers 74 % frequency region below 100 Hz. Furthermore, with batch-fabrication process, tremendous normalized power density of 1.8·10<sup>4</sup>μW·cm<sup>−3</sup>·g<sup>−2</sup> could be achieved within such wideband frequency spectrum, showing adequate potential application in harvesting weak vibration energy widely distributed in industrial production and daily life.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21689,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators A-physical","volume":"395 ","pages":"Article 117047"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145059888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xuan Sun , Jingen Wu , Xianfeng Liang , Yiwei Xu , Jieqiang Gao , Hui Huang , Dengfeng Ju , Jinghong Guo , Zhongqiang Hu , Ming Liu
{"title":"Design and noise analysis of a based on nonlinear magnetoelectric effect","authors":"Xuan Sun , Jingen Wu , Xianfeng Liang , Yiwei Xu , Jieqiang Gao , Hui Huang , Dengfeng Ju , Jinghong Guo , Zhongqiang Hu , Ming Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117048","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sna.2025.117048","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nonlinear magnetoelectric (ME) effect has been utilized to shift low-frequency signals to the vicinity of the resonance frequency to enhance the resolution of magnetic field sensors. Current readout techniques for modulated ME sensors rely on spectrum analyzers to detect the sideband signals, which hinders the practical applications due to the bulkiness and complexity of the whole sensing system. A novel ME sensor module is presented in this study that includes the ME composites, a modulation coil, and a differential charge amplifier with the demodulation and filtering circuits in a compact module, facilitating the direct detection of low-frequency magnetic field signals. Additionally, an equivalent noise circuit for the modulated ME module has been established, allowing for theoretical analysis and optimization of its noise performance. As a result, the module has achieved the detection limit of 14 pT for the magnetic field at 1 Hz. This approach is expected to overcome the limitations inherent in existing readout techniques for modulated ME sensors, enhancing the practicality and efficiency of detecting low-frequency magnetic fields.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21689,"journal":{"name":"Sensors and Actuators A-physical","volume":"395 ","pages":"Article 117048"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145059890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}