Biodegradable Shape-Memory Ionogels as Green and Adaptive Wearable Electronics Toward Physical Rehabilitation

摘要

Rehabilitation is necessary for the recovery of patients with paralysis causedby stroke and muscle atrophy. Wearable electronics can provide feedback onphysical training and facilitate healthcare. However, most existing wearableelectronics are difficult to maintain a conformal skin-device interface.Additionally, the use of non-degradable electronic materials is associated withenvironmental risks. Herein, ionogels with biodegradation and shape-memoryproperties as eco-friendly and geometry-adaptive wearable electronics forrehabilitation are proposed. The biodegradation is enabled by incorporatingpolycaprolactone segments into the ionogel matrix. Moreover, theionogel-based wearable electronics can be conformal to certain joints byshape programming, and provide stable and reproducible real-time signalsreflecting joint movements during long-term rehabilitation training assistedby a robotic glove, facilitating carers to assess rehabilitation efficacy andchoose an appropriate scheme. This study demonstrates the potential ofbiodegradable shape-memory ionogels as green and adaptive wearableelectronics for robot-assisted rehabilitation.