Wireless breathable face mask sensor for spatiotemporal 2D respiration profiling and respiratory diagnosis

Owing to air pollution and the pandemic outbreak, the need for quantitative pulmonary monitoring has greatly increased. The COVID-19 outbreak has aroused attention for comfortable wireless monitoring of respiratory profiles and more real-time diagnosis of respiratory diseases. Although respiration sensors have been investigated extensively with single-pixel sensors, 2D respiration profiling with a pixelated array sensor has not been demonstrated for both exhaling and inhaling. Since the pixelated array sensor allowed for simultaneous profiling of the nasal breathing and oral breathing, it provides essential respiratory information such as breathing patterns, respiration habit, breathing disorders. In this study, we introduced an air-permeable, stretchable, and a pixelated pressure sensor that can be integrated into a commercial face mask. The mask sensor showed a strain-independent pressure-sensing performance, providing 2D pressure profiles for exhalation and inhalation. Real-time 2D respiration profiles could monitor various respiratory behaviors, such as oral/nasal breathing, clogged nose, out-of-breath, and coughing. Furthermore, they could detect respiratory diseases, such as rhinitis, sleep apnea, and pneumonia. The 2D respiratory profiling mask sensor is expected to be employed for remote respiration monitoring and timely patient treatment.