Nanowerk October 2, 2020
Researchers in the UK 3D printed the composite fibres which are made from silver and/or semiconducting polymers. It creates a core-shell fibre structure, with a high-purity conducting fibre core wrapped by a thin protective polymer sheath, a few micrometres in diameter. The printing technique can also be used to make biocompatible fibres of a similar dimension to biological cells, which enables them to guide cell movements and ‘feel’ this dynamic process as electrical signals. The sensor was used for testing respiratory conditions such as normal breathing, rapid breathing, and simulated coughing. It significantly outperformed comparable commercial sensors, especially in monitoring rapid breathing, which replicates shortness of breath. The sensors are lightweight, cheap, small, and easy to use, so they could potentially be turned into home-test devices to allow the public to perform self-administered tests to get information about their environments…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE