A technology has been developed that can detect biometric information through skin contact without a battery, and is expected to be of great help in the early diagnosis of bedsores.

A joint research team from the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), and Changwon National University announced on the 13th that they have developed a ‘multifunctional wireless biosensor platform’ based on copper sulfide (CuS).

The technology has been published as a cover paper in the renowned international academic journal 'Advanced Functional Materials' and is receiving worldwide attention.

Bedsores are a common skin disease in the elderly or patients with limited mobility, and have been identified as a major problem in nursing and rehabilitation hospitals where real-time monitoring is difficult.

Existing sensors only measure pressure or are highly dependent on batteries and wires, which limits their application in hospital settings.

The newly developed sensor platform can wirelessly detect various biological gases, such as pressure, temperature, and ammonia, simply by attaching it to the skin.

In particular, it selectively detects ammonia in excrement by utilizing copper sulfide nanomaterials, and is also effective in preventing skin infections and improving sanitary environments.

kiteThe team maximized the detection efficiency of copper sulfide with a three-dimensional porous structure.

Production costs have also been dramatically reduced. By simply immersing commercial copper foam in a sulfur solution, copper sulfide can be mass-produced, reducing the unit cost of sensor materials by more than 17 times compared to previous generations.

The sensor operates by receiving wireless power from a smartphone or reader, and its proprietary circuit design and communication algorithm enable stable measurements without signal interference.

Its effectiveness was also proven in a clinical trial with Gimhae Hansol Rehabilitation Hospital.

Nurses and guardians can check the patient's skin condition in real time using smart devices, which has greatly improved the prevention of bedsores and the efficiency of patient management.

KERI's Dr. Myungwoo Choi stated, "This is the world's first case of applying a highly efficient material that selectively detects only ammonia at room temperature without an external energy source to a wireless sensor platform," adding, "This is a representative successful model of cooperation between academia, research, and hospitals."

In the future, the research team plans to expand the diagnostic area to include skin humidity, pH, and lactate concentration, and develop it into a smart healthcare platform that includes an AI-based disease prediction and automatic warning system, as well as linking with hospital clouds and home care.