Self-powered information conversion based on thermogalvanic hydrogel with interpenetrating networks for nursing aphasic patients

In recent years, an increase in the use of wearable electronics has been observed in daily life due to the rapid development of personal medical health systems and the Internet of Things. Environment-friendly quasi-solid-state thermogalvanic hydrogels are enabled to convert low-grade heat into electricity and expected to be used for signal conversion in smart medical applications. However, existing wearable models in nursing are not entirely applicable for aphasic patients. Herein, we introduced a thermogalvanic interpenetrating network hydrogel (TG-IPNH) with [Fe(CN)6]3-/[Fe(CN)6]4- as a redox pair and KCl as a ion provider for thermodiffusion, which not only has good flexibility but also prominent thermoelectric property with the thermal current up to 124 μA at the temperature difference of 10 K. Relying on the gel’s sensitive correlative thermoelectric response to temperature triggered by a finger and in combination with Morse Code, a self-powered gel wristband for information conversion has been developed to provide real-time help and assistance to aphasic patients. This gel-based wristband device can be potentially applied as a supplementary interaction route for them who have language impairment, especially in intelligent healthcare and emergency rescue.