Soft Wireless Bioelectronics Designed for Real-Time, Continuous Health Monitoring of Farmworkers

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Yun-Soung Kim, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and IEN Center for Human-Centric Interfaces and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.; Jihoon Kim, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and IEN Center for Human-Centric Interfaces and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.; Roxana Chicas, Emory University; Nezahualcoyotl Xiuhtecutli, Emory University; Jared Matthews, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and IEN Center for Human-Centric Interfaces and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.; Nathan Zavanelli, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and IEN Center for Human-Centric Interfaces and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.; Shinjae Kwon, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and IEN Center for Human-Centric Interfaces and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA; Sung Hoon Lee, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and IEN Center for Human-Centric Interfaces and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA; Vicki Hertzberg, Emory University; Woon-Hong Yeo, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-04-03
• Publisher: WILEY
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 1999-2024 John Wiley & Sons, Inc or related companies
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202200170
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 13
• Start Page: e2200170
• End Page: e2200170
• Keywords: Nanoscience & Nanotechnology; wireless systems; health monitoring of farmworkers; HEAT EXPOSURE; Engineering, Biomedical; Materials Science, Biomaterials; heat-related illnesses; soft electronics; Science & Technology; Science & Technology - Other Topics; UNITED-STATES; ADHESIVE; Engineering; Materials Science; Technology; micromachining; WORKERS
• Research Categories: Anthropology, Archaeology; Engineering, Mechanical; Engineering, Electronics and Electrical; Statistics

Abstract

Hotter summers caused by global warming and increased workload and duration are endangering the health of farmworkers, a high-risk population for heat-related illness (HRI), and deaths. Although prior studies using wearable sensors show the feasibility of employing field-collected data for HRI monitoring, existing devices still have limitations, such as data loss from motion artifacts, device discomfort from rigid electronics, difficulties with administering ingestible sensors, and low temporal resolution. Here, this paper introduces a wireless, wearable bioelectronic system with functionalities for continuous monitoring of skin temperature, electrocardiograms (ECG), heart rates (HR), and activities, configured in a single integrated package. Advanced nanomanufacturing based on laser machining allows rapid device fabrication and direct incorporation of sensors with a highly breathable substrate, allowing for managing excessive sweating and multimodal stresses. To validate the device's performance in agricultural settings, the device is applied to multiple farmworkers at various operations, including fernery, nursery, and crop. The accurate data recording, including high-fidelity ECG (signal-to-noise ratio: >20 dB), accurate HR (r = 0.89, r2 = 0.65 in linear correlation), and reliable temperature/activity, confirms the device's capability for multiparameter health monitoring of farmworkers.