Hyperstretchable cellulose-based hydrogel wearable strain sensors for cardiovascular monitoring and exercise assessment

This study develops a polyvinyl alcohol hyperstretchable cellulose-based hydrogel triboelectric nanogenerator (PH-TENG) for non-invasive cardiovascular monitoring. The device fabrication utilizes polyvinyl alcohol and hydroxyethyl cellulose, with performance optimization achieved through synergistic material and architectural design. Experimental characterization reveals the PH-TENG exhibits high sensitivity (0.543 kPa −1 ) and rapid response time (41 ms), enabling precise arterial pulse wave detection with clear characteristic peak resolution. The proposed monitoring strategy integrates pulse wave signals from multiple arterial sites, employing peak interval difference extraction for cardiovascular assessment. Comparative validation demonstrates strong correlation between PH-TENG-derived heart rate data and commercial motion sensor measurements. Implementation of Binary Generalized Linear Model Logistic Regression yields 100 % accuracy in distinguishing subjects’ heart rate pulses pre-exercise and post-exercise. The developed Health Monitoring and Assessment System (HMAS) demonstrates reliable performance for long-term cardiovascular monitoring. This work provides an effective solution for non-invasive, multi-parametric physiological monitoring, establishing a technological foundation for cardiovascular disease diagnosis and prevention. The system shows potential for applications in personalized healthcare and smart sports monitoring.