An Electret‐Powered Skin‐Attachable Auditory Sensor that Functions in Harsh Acoustic Environments. Issue 40 (31st August 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Siyoung; Roh, Hajung; Kim, Junsoo; Chung, Sein; Seo, Donghwan; Moon, Wonkyu; Cho, Kilwon
• Is Part Of: Advanced materials. Volume 34:Issue 40(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-08-31
• Subjects: acoustic sensors -- electrets -- harsh acoustic environment -- polymer processing -- skin‐attachable sensors; Materials -- Periodicals; Chemical vapor deposition -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202205537
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0935-9648

Abstract

Abstract: Auditory sensors have shortcomings with respect to not only personalization with wearability and portability but also detecting a human voice clearly in a noisy environment or when a mask covers the mouth. In this work, an electret‐powered and hole‐patterned polymer diaphragm is exploited into a skin‐attachable auditory sensor. The optimized charged electret diaphragm induces a voltage bias of >400 V against the counter electrode, which reduces the necessity of a bulky power source and enables the capacitive sensor to show high sensitivity (2.2 V Pa −1 ) with incorporation of an elastomer nanodroplet seismic mass. The sophisticated capacitive structure with low mechanical damping enables a flat frequency response (80–3000 Hz) and good linearity (50–80 dBSPL ). The hole‐patterned electret diaphragms help the skin‐attachable sensor detect only neck‐skin vibration rather than dynamic air pressure, enabling a person's voice to be detected in a harsh acoustic environment. The sensor operates reliably even in the presence of surrounding noise and when the user is wearing a gas mask. Therefore, the sensor shows strong potential of a communication tool for disaster response and quarantine activities, and of diagnosis tool for vocal healthcare applications such as cough monitoring and voice dosimetry. Abstract : An electret‐powered skin‐attachable auditory sensor operating without a bulky battery is presented. The hole‐patterned electret diaphragm array with elastomer nanodroplets facilitates high sensing performance and clear voice detection in a harsh acoustic environment. The acoustic sensor shows a strong potential of a communication tool for disaster response and quarantine activities, and of diagnosis tool for vocal healthcare applications.