Wireless battery-free ultrathin lithium-niobate resonator as wearable and implantable electronics for continuous monitoring of mechanical vital signs

Continuous monitoring of physiological parameters associated with dynamic biomechanics, such as intracranial pressure (ICP) and vital signs, is important for clinical diagnosis of brain diseases and timely medical intervention. Current skin-interfaced and implant technologies face challenges in terms of bulky tethers and/or percutaneous wires with high infection risks. Here, we report the wireless, battery-free, and lightweight devices for both wearable and fully implantable applications. The devices incorporate an ultrathin piezoelectric resonator with suspended lithium niobate thin film (LNTF, 3 μm thick), enabling the wireless tracking of mechanophysiological signals by detecting variations in resonance frequency. We experimentally and computationally establish the operational principles of the resonator sensor and assess the device performance as wearables for dynamically monitoring artery pulse and apnea events during respiration. Implantable wireless pressure sensors adapted from this scheme allow for untethered, minimally invasive ICP sensing with a low detection limit of 0.15 mmHg over a wide range up to 240 mmHg. In vivo experiments performed on rat models validate the device capabilities of accurately capturing clinically relevant ICP variations and elevated levels of ICP under pathophysiological conditions of hydrocephalus, with excellent biocompatibility after long-term implantation periods. These findings create the clinical significance of such battery-less and wireless devices for precise characterization of dynamic biomechanics of living tissues.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-12-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67413-0
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.67

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article

Wireless battery-free ultrathin lithium-niobate resonator as wearable and implantable electronics for continuous monitoring of mechanical vital signs

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1 citations
Nature Communications
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
0.67
article

Wireless battery-free ultrathin lithium-niobate resonator as wearable and implantable electronics for continuous monitoring of mechanical vital signs

Fan Xu, Dian Xu, Lianjie Zhou, Zengfeng Di, Bofan Hu, Wenlou Yuan, Yongfeng Mei, Enming Song, Ningge Huang, Yuting Shao, Faya Liang, J D Liu, Yifei Lü, Jiahao Li, Ming Wang, Rui Li, Lichao Ma, Zhongzheng Li, Yanlong Bi, Zhongyuan Wu, Pengchuan Liu, Xiaojun Wu
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Continuous monitoring of physiological parameters associated with dynamic biomechanics, such as intracranial pressure (ICP) and vital signs, is important for clinical diagnosis of brain diseases and timely medical intervention. Current skin-interfaced and implant technologies face challenges in terms of bulky tethers and/or percutaneous wires with high infection risks. Here, we report the wireless, battery-free, and lightweight devices for both wearable and fully implantable applications. The devices incorporate an ultrathin piezoelectric resonator with suspended lithium niobate thin film (LNTF, 3 μm thick), enabling the wireless tracking of mechanophysiological signals by detecting variations in resonance frequency. We experimentally and computationally establish the operational principles of the resonator sensor and assess the device performance as wearables for dynamically monitoring artery pulse and apnea events during respiration. Implantable wireless pressure sensors adapted from this scheme allow for untethered, minimally invasive ICP sensing with a low detection limit of 0.15 mmHg over a wide range up to 240 mmHg. In vivo experiments performed on rat models validate the device capabilities of accurately capturing clinically relevant ICP variations and elevated levels of ICP under pathophysiological conditions of hydrocephalus, with excellent biocompatibility after long-term implantation periods. These findings create the clinical significance of such battery-less and wireless devices for precise characterization of dynamic biomechanics of living tissues.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 17(1)
Tongji University (CN), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Fudan University (CN), Dalian University of Technology (CN), San’an Optoelectronics (China) (CN), Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (CN), Yiwu Science and Technology Research Institute (CN), Tongji Hospital (CN), Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Ministry of Education, India
Openalex Percentile: Top 24%
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
0.67
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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