Wearable Triboelectric sensor for respiration and coughing monitoring

The COVID-19 Pandemic has reminded society of the vital importance of breathing monitoring, especially in the adult population. Abnormalities in respiration rate may indicate problems in the respiratory organs caused by possible infections, obstructions, certain lung, heart, or neurological conditions, stress, or anxiety. On the other hand, coughing monitoring (another indicator of coronavirus infection) can benefit from unbiased assessment methods that complement the physician's expertise. This manuscript reports the design and experiment results of a portable, low weight, and easy-to-manufacture Triboelectric Nanogenerator-based (TENG-based) respiratory and coughing sensor. The Triboelectric Sensor's (TS) small size and versatile design allow it to be attached to an elastic band or a hook-and-loop band and placed in different body parts or inside a disposable mask. When placed on the body, the triboelectric effect in the sensor layers, resulting from the vibration and movement of the chest, upper abdomen, or neck, is translated into an electric voltage, which is wirelessly transmitted using Low-power Bluetooth (BLE) communication. The results show the good response of the sensor to slow, fast and deep breaths while sitting and standing. The sensor also detects low, fast, and intense coughing events while sitting, standing, and walking. This demonstrates the potential of this technology scarcely used for breath and cough monitoring in literature.