Nanofiber Production Equipment| Motion-unrestricted dynamic electrocardiogramsystem utilizingimperceptible electronics

In recent years, Professor Ren Tianling's team at Tsinghua University has been dedicated to the exploration of flexible, wearable smart device chips and novel sensing technologies for the metaverse and healthcare, achieving multiple innovative results in graphene-based acoustic devices and various sensors. Their work has been published in renowned journals such as Nature, Nature Electronics, and Nature Communications, as well as at top international academic conferences like the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM).

Recently, Professor Ren’s team made groundbreaking progress in the field of flexible wearable electronic devices based on electrospinning technology, publishing two consecutive papers in Nature Communications!

On April 5, 2025, Professor Ren published a paper titled "Motion-unrestricted dynamic electrocardiogram system utilizing imperceptible electronics" in Nature Communications. The research team developed a motion-unrestricted dynamic 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) system using electrospinning technology, integrating the advantages of imperceptible wearability, motion-artifact resistance, and low-power in-situ real-time signal processing.

Fig. 1: (a) The MU-DCG system acts like an "invisible doctor" for continuous heart health monitoring, integrating imperceptible wearability, motion-artifact resistance, and low-power in-situ real-time signal processing; (b) Physical photo and schematic diagram of the MU-DCG system.

The MU-DCG system combines skin-conformal flexible electronics with advanced edge AI acceleration hardware and software technologies. It consists of an on-skin soft module (On-skin leads & electrodes) and an off-skin hard module (AI module). The flexible electronic devices in the on-skin soft module exhibit excellent skin adaptability, with a thickness of less than 50 µm, stretchability exceeding 50%, and good skin adhesion and breathability. The off-skin hard module includes computing, wireless communication, and battery components required for data processing and transmission, all encapsulated in an elegant pendant.Additionally, to facilitate on-skin assembly, the MU-DCG system features a pressure-activated flexible skin socket (Skin socket) that ensures a stable soft connection between the on-skin soft module and the off-skin hard module during dynamic movement.

Fig. 2: Structure of the flexible skin socket and its connection performance with the on-skin LM plug.

The superior comfort (imperceptible wearability), outstanding motion-artifact resistance, and remarkable low-power edge AI computing capabilities of MU-DCG make it a potential revolution in traditional ECG acquisition methods. User wearability reports, blinded evaluations by cardiovascular experts, and power consumption test results demonstrate MU-DCG's excellent user-friendliness (lowest discomfort score: 0.55), superior dynamic ECG signal acquisition quality (signal-to-noise ratio improvement >5 dB), and significantly low power consumption.

Fig. 3: (a) Statistical results of user wearability evaluation scores; (b) Comparative statistical results of blinded expert evaluations by cardiovascular specialists; (c) Power consumption comparison test results; (d) Comparison of ECG signal acquisition between MU-DCG and Holter during transitions from rest to jogging.

In summary, MU-DCG provides superior comfort, accuracy, and long-term wearability, enabling continuous, motion-unrestricted ECG monitoring during daily activities to enhance medical diagnosis and research.

Two months earlier (January 11), Professor Ren and his team published another paper titled "An intelligent hybrid-fabric wristband system enabled by thermal encapsulation for ergonomic human-machine interaction" in Nature Communications. This study proposed a handwriting recognition technology based on an intelligent hybrid-fabric wristband system, which integrates electrospun membrane sensors into textiles to form smart fabrics with intelligent functionalities.

Fig. 4: Intelligent hybrid-fabric wristband system.

The study introduced a thermal encapsulation process that bonds multiple electrospun membranes together without additional materials, ensuring the sensors remain lightweight, breathable, and stretchable. The recognition algorithm achieved precise handwriting recognition of letters with an accuracy of 96.63%. This system represents a significant step forward in the development of ergonomic and user-friendly wearable devices to enhance human-machine interaction, particularly in virtual environments.

Reference information:

1、Li, D., Cui, TR., Liu, JH. et al. Motion-unrestricted dynamic electrocardiogram system utilizing imperceptible electronics. Nat Commun 16, 3259 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58390-5

2、Cheng, A., Li, X., Li, D. et al. An intelligent hybrid-fabric wristband system enabled by thermal encapsulation for ergonomic human-machine interaction. Nat Commun 16, 591 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55649-1