Advances and Challenges in Wearable Sensors for Health Monitoring
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Analytical tools may revolutionize healthcare by enabling accessible, rapid, and decentralized testing. Wearable (bio)sensors, in particular, provide frequent or continuous patient monitoring through non- to minimally invasive measurements. This approach yields unprecedented amounts of health-related information, leading to more informed clinical decision-making and closer patient follow-up. In this mega-review article, we bring together leading researchers in the field to discuss the state of the art in wearable devices for health monitoring. We begin by providing a broad overview of the field through citation network analysis. We then review the application of chemical (bio)sensors in biofluids (e.g., sweat, saliva, tears, interstitial fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid), highlighting the challenges and advantages associated with each. Subsequently, we discuss the construction of wearable devices and their main formats (e.g., smart contact lenses, textiles, mouthguards, watches/wristbands, and implantable systems). Physical sensors are addressed in a dedicated section focusing on the assessment of heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. The role of soft electronics in wearable devices is also examined, as these technologies are essential for enhancing user comfort and sensor reliability, which demands advances in materials science. Furthermore, we present strategies for signal acquisition and transmission, as well as approaches for on-body energy harvesting and device self-powering. The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning is then discussed as a means of enhancing analytical performance and managing the large volumes of data generated by wearable devices. Finally, business, regulatory, and ethical considerations are examined. We expect that this review will provide an overview of sensing and biosensing technologies for health-related applications, identify promising research directions, and inspire future developments.
Authors: Laís Canniatti Brazaca, Alvaro Moreno Lozano, Beatriz Mayol, Desiree Tamara Scheidt, Domenico De Fazio, Enji Kim, Gabriel Maroli, Giulio Rosati, Hatice Ceren Ates, Hui Wang, Hye Jin Kim, Ji-Hwan Ha, Jin Yang, Jisoo Jeon, Jörg Goldhahn, Keval K. Sonigara, La Li, Mingyu Zhou, Seokjoo Cho, Shicheng Fan, Shuang Wu, Vanessa Matos Gonçalves, Vitor H. B. Dei Santi, Weixin Zhou, Wenzheng Heng, Won Gi Chung, Xinming Li, Yang Zou, Yunxia Jin, Zixuan Wu, Amay J. Bandodkar, Arben Merkoçi, Can Dincer, Chwee Teck Lim, Dae-Hyeong Kim, Emanuel Carrilho, Giovanni Antonio Salvatore, Guozhen Shen, Inkyu Park, Itthipon Jeerapan, Jang-Ung Park, Jin Wu, John S. Ho, John Rogers, Joseph Wang, Kevin W. Plaxco, Maria Cristina Ferreira de Oliveira, Martin Pumera, Noé Brasier, Omid Veiseh, Pooi See Lee, Vladimir V. Tsukruk, Wei Gao, Yong Zhu, Zhong Lin Wang, Zhou Li, Juliane Sempionatto, Osvaldo N. Oliveira
Institutions: Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Rice University, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Yonsei University, Institute for Basic Science, Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia, TecnoCampus, EURECAT Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Technical University of Munich, Nanyang Technological University, Hanbat National University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Chongqing University, Georgia Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, Brno University of Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, National University of Singapore, Florida Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, California Institute of Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Wuyi University, Wuyi University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Seoul National University, Prince of Songkla University, Sun Yat-sen University, Rhaeos, Inc. (United States), University of California San Diego, University of California, Santa Barbara, VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
Funders: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, European Commission, National University of Singapore, National Research Foundation Singapore, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, Grantová Agentura České Republiky, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Generalitat de Catalunya, Ministerstvo Zdravotnictví Ceské Republiky, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, National Research Foundation of Korea, Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore, Ministerstvo Životního Prostředí, European Regional Development Fund, Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, National University of Singapore, Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province, European Social Fund, HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Awards: G1078609858, G1144357706, G1153767801, G1194756429, G1492781007, G1686916071, G1709022020, G1871363018, G2207473264, G2521645515, G2677447636, G2694802950, G2880144948, G3076994783, Sensors and biosensors for health and environmental monitoring, G3426610277, G530309569, G535059049, G5706383408, G615011042, Study of functionalised Pluronic® polymer doping in thermoelectric ionic polymer gels for tuning of ionic Seebeck coefficient and application in harvesting heat to electricity, G660166462, G6996816869, G769688815, G8858175490
OpenAlex ID: W7168473940