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Ultrasensitive crack-based strain sensors: mechanism, performance, and biomedical applications

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Abstract

Accurate and sensitive detection of strain generated from biomechanical motion and metabolism paves the way for diverse biomedical applications, including personalized healthcare, early detection of pathological symptoms, medical robotics, and human-machine interfaces. A crack-based strain sensor provides highly sensitive measurement with flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and simple device fabrication. Here, the working principle of a crack-based strain sensor based on the disconnection and reconnection of cracks is reviewed. Crack geometry and morphology, such as depth, density, and arrangement, which affect the sensitivity, repeatability, and linearity of the sensor, are discussed. Crack formation methods affecting the performance of crack-based strain sensors are also discussed. Lastly, representative biomedical applications of ultrasensitive crack-based sensors as wearable healthcare devices, precise medical tools, and cellular force analyzer are reviewed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean Government (MSIT) (NRF-2021R1A4A1052035), KIST Institutional Program (Project No. 2E31121-21-111), and the Technology Innovation Program (or Industrial Strategic Technology Development Program-Alchemist Project) (20012502, Development of Supercritical Materials with Controlled Electrochemical Decomposition and Degradation Rate using Artificial Intelligence) funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, & Energy (MOTIE, Korea).

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  1. These authors equally contributed to this work as first author.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea

    Yoon-nam Kim, Junsang Lee & Seung-Kyun Kang

  2. Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea

    Seung-Kyun Kang

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  1. Yoon-nam Kim
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  2. Junsang Lee
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Correspondence to Seung-Kyun Kang.

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Yoon-nam Kim is a master’s student at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. He received his B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Seoul National University. His research interests include transient electronics, 3D compressive buckling, and bio/material interfaces.

Junsang Lee is a Ph.D. student at Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. He received his B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Seoul National University. His research interests include mechanical behavior and microstructural characterization, small-scale testing, and stress analysis.

Seung-Kyun Kang is an Associate Professor at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. He received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Seoul National University. His research interests include bioresorbable and bioimplantable electronics, unusual semiconductor fabrication and material processing, and material strategy for reliability control of devices.

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Kim, Yn., Lee, J. & Kang, SK. Ultrasensitive crack-based strain sensors: mechanism, performance, and biomedical applications. J Mech Sci Technol 36, 1059–1077 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-022-0246-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-022-0246-z

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