Highly sensitive and stable printed pressure sensor with microstructured grid arrays

Flexible pressure sensors with high sensitivity, broad pressure range and a large array are highly desired for wearable applications. In this work, a flexible pressure sensor with a polyvinyl chloride/carbon black microgrid films was obtained by screen printing. Compared to other recent pressure sensors, these printed pressure sensors with microstructured grids have a broad pressure range up to 666.7 kPa, an excellent sensitivity of typically 4.71 kPa −1 in the dynamic range between 0 and 15 kPa, a fast response of typically 25 ms, a high stability, a good durability in a broad pressure range for more than 5300 cycles and long effectiveness. We showed that the printed pressure sensors can be customized to fit in a smart insole. Moreover, a wrist pulse could be detected accurately by a single sensor. The proposed printed pressure sensors will have a great potential a smart devices in health monitoring, for preventive health care, and in rehabilitation care.