Research status and development trends of flexible blood pressure sensors

Purpose Blood pressure monitoring is fundamental for cardiovascular health assessment; however, traditional cuff-based sphygmomanometers provide only intermittent measurements, cause user discomfort and cannot support continuous real-time monitoring. This review aims to systematically summarize recent advances in flexible blood pressure sensing technologies and to analyze the current challenges and future development directions of continuous noninvasive blood pressure monitoring systems. Design/methodology/approach This review synthesizes recent research progress in five major categories of flexible blood pressure sensing technologies, including piezoresistive sensors, capacitive sensors, optical sensors, piezoelectric sensors and ultrasonic sensors. The sensing mechanisms, device structures, materials, performance characteristics and system integration approaches of these technologies are comparatively analyzed. In addition, key issues related to calibration methods, intelligent algorithms, hybrid sensing architectures and data interoperability are reviewed to evaluate the overall development of flexible blood pressure monitoring systems. Findings Flexible blood pressure sensing technologies have achieved significant progress in sensitivity, response time, device miniaturization and wearable integration. Advanced materials such as MXene/black phosphorus composites, graphene layers, PVDF films and PZT-5H ceramics enable continuous, skin-conformal and user-friendly blood pressure monitoring. However, several challenges remain, including accuracy limitations, calibration burden, limited sample diversity in validation studies, susceptibility to environmental interference, and lack of unified data interoperability standards. Emerging solutions such as hybrid sensing architectures, adaptive calibration algorithms based on transfer learning, intelligent physiological modeling frameworks, and multidimensional standardization strategies show strong potential for improving monitoring accuracy and clinical applicability. Research limitations/implications Current technologies lack unified interoperability standards and validation in special populations (BMI > 30, age > 65). These limitations hinder clinical translation and require multidimensional standardization for broader application. Practical implications The reviewed flexible sensing technologies enable low-cost, wearable continuous blood pressure monitoring, with huge commercial potential in consumer health electronics and remote patient monitoring devices. Social implications Facilitates early screening and real-time management of cardiovascular diseases, reduces the burden of hypertension-related complications, and promotes equitable access to personalized cardiovascular healthcare. Originality/value This review provides a comprehensive and systematic analysis of flexible blood pressure monitoring technologies from sensing mechanisms to system integration and clinical challenges. Unlike previous reviews that primarily focus on sensor materials or individual sensing technologies, this paper emphasizes hybrid sensing strategies, intelligent calibration algorithms, system interoperability and clinical validation challenges, offering a broader perspective on the future development of continuous, personalized blood pressure monitoring technologies.