The development history of flexible mechanical biosensors: Materials, technologies, and medical applications

The application of flexible mechanical biosensors in biological systems is revolutionizing health monitoring and medical practices, particularly in the field of critical care medicine. The rapid development in this field enables the real-time, efficient detection of various mechanical signals within the human body and offers unique advantages, such as wearability, high sensitivity, and multifunctionality. Flexible mechanical biosensors, including strain, pressure, bending, vibration, and composite sensors, have extensive prospects in critical care applications, such as continuous blood pressure monitoring, motion tracking, posture analysis, heart sound monitoring, and physiological parameter detection. In critical care settings, these sensors can significantly enhance patient monitoring and treatment by enabling the continuous, noninvasive monitoring of vital signs and other physiological parameters, thereby leading to earlier detection of complications, more accurate assessments of patient conditions, and timely interventions. Through a review of the existing literature, this paper summarizes the main trends, consensus, controversies, and research gaps in this field and proposes future research directions and recommendations to advance the development of flexible mechanical biosensors in personalized health monitoring and smart medical care.