Bioresorbable Pressure Sensor and Its Applications in Abnormal Respiratory Event Identification

Bioresorbable electronics that can be absorbed and become a part of the organism after their service life are becoming a trend to avoid secondary invasive surgery. However, the sustainable and secure supply of energy for biosensors is a significant challenge. Here, a bioresorbable pressure sensor (BPS) based on a triboelectric nanogenerator is reported. The BPS based on the triboelectric nanogenerator can directly convert ambient pressure changes into electrical signals. It offers excellent sensitivity (22.61 mV/mmHg), linearity (R2 = 0.99), and good durability (850,000 cycles). The bioresorbable materials of poly(lactic acid)/chitosan/sodium alginate in the BPS show great biocompatibility and can achieve 99.99% sterilization for both Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria. In addition, the device can successfully identify an abnormal respiratory event in small animals and will be completely degraded after 21 days. The BPS only employs medical materials used commonly in FDA-approved implants, which is crucial for the biosafety of bioresorbable devices. Triboelectric devices are expected to be applied in the clinic as bioresorbable electronics.