Silk fibroin based flexible and self-powered sensor for real-time monitoring of abdominal respiration

Personal health monitoring is very important for the health operation of special populations, like newborns and the old. But how to construct a sensor that can achieve real-time monitoring without the need for an external power supply still faces serious challenges. In this paper, a flexible, breathable and self-powered sensor based on triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) was designed. Silk fibroin (SF) and poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) fiber membranes were prepared by electro-spinning, and a u-shaped circuit was sprayed on one side of the fiber membrane as the electrode. Separating by an elastic silicone ring of the two fiber membranes, the all-fiber and self-powered sensor with a simple structure, good stability, and high output performance was developed. The as prepared sensor can instantly light up hundreds of LEDs by hand tapping. The sensor prepared in this work may have some potential applications in wearable devices and energy systems for real-time monitoring of abdominal breathing.