(378g) Self-Powered Thermoelectric Biosensor Manufactured By 3D Printing

Applications of thermoelectric generators(TEGs)are limited due to the rigidness of their materials and lack of elaborately designed structures. To harness body temperature as a stable energy source, a gill-mimicking structured TEG is developed, allowing heat to flow through the gills and building up a relatively high temperature difference. Owing toitscustomizability,3D printing plays a significant role in designing and manufacturing the unique-structured generator. The printed structure circumvents the rigid nature of conjugated polymers and fits well on human skin, making the most of body temperatures. The TEG can generate voltages from various complex surfaces, including a human forearm, a hot water bottle, and a car roof. After connecting to a strain switch, biosignals such as joint movement and respiratory rate can be detected without external power sources, which exhibits its potential in long-term health monitoring and smart wearables. The study demonstrates the importance of additive manufacturing in the field of biosensors. Besides the customizability, 3D printing is expected to contribute to higher biocompatibility, miniaturization, tunable porosity, and multifunctionality as well