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screening of cancer therapies in vivo. By providing immediate and dynamic information on tumor response
to treatment, these datasets can expedite and automate the process, leading to more efficient and effective
cancer therapy development.
Skin interface biosensors for advanced wireless physiological monitoring in neonatal and pediatric intensive
care units (NICUs and PICUs, respectively) are designed to be non-invasive, comfortable for patients ,
[80]
providing real-time monitoring of various physiological parameters, with the potential to greatly improve
patient care and outcomes. Figure 4E exhibits a photograph of the chest and limb units on a model of a
[59]
neonate in a NICU isolation unit, with exemplary data displayed on a user interface . These exemplary
data, for instance, ECGs, photoplethysmograms (PPGs), seismocardiograms (SCGs), and chest movements
obtained from a neonate with a gestational age (GA) of 29 weeks, are captured through uninterrupted
wireless transmission to a mobile tablet utilizing using a platform with an embedded batter. The real-time
signal analysis algorithms executed on the mobile tablet enable the transmitted raw data from the devices to
be processed immediately. This allows dynamic and adaptive vital signs to be displayed with minimal time
delay. Additional clinically important data, such as the differences in rotational angles between devices and
reference frames during resting (left and right lateral position), holding, feeding, and kangaroo care (KC)
events for a neonate in NICU, are exhibited on the right in Figure 4E. This multifunctional system has the
potential to greatly improve the quality of neonatal and pediatric intensive care.
CONCLUSION AND PERSPECTIVES
Collectively, these advancements in materials science, device engineering, and measurement principles have
led to the development of high-precision measurement systems for the mechanical characterization of soft
biological tissues. These systems enable researchers to study tissue mechanics in a controlled and
quantitative manner, providing insights into the behavior and properties of tissues under physiological and
pathological conditions. In this review, we review the recent advancements in sensing platforms for
biological tissue mechanics, including the measurement mechanism and engineering design, and the
applications in tissue engineering, biomedical research and clinical medicine. The emphasis is on the
systematic characteristics of engineering designs and methods that have diagnostic utility across different
measurement depths. The latest research results are summarized in Table 1. The biological tissue mechanics
sensing platforms feature unique modes of interface with soft tissue, high measurement resolutions and
wider application ranges, which cannot be supported by traditional methods. Selecting the appropriate
mechanical sensing platforms according to the sensing needs of tissues or organs with different depths such
as vocal cord vibration, cardiac beating, tissue stiffness and arterial pulsation can provide a rich application
of clinical medicine. However, the development of a single, scalable measurement system with hybrid
functions for evaluating biomechanics at multiple spatial scales and depths in a rapid, precise, and non-
invasive manner is a persistent challenge.
To address this challenge, researchers and engineers are exploring different approaches and technologies:
(1) Advances in imaging technologies, such as MRI, ultrasound, and optical coherence tomography (OCT),
have enabled non-invasive visualization of tissues and structures at various scales. The wearable ultrasonic
transducer arrays, for example, are used for deep tissue sensing (> 10 cm) at a spatial resolution of hundreds
of micrometers . These imaging techniques can provide valuable information about biomechanical
[20]
properties, such as tissue elasticity and deformation, without requiring invasive procedures; (2) Combining
multiple sensors and measurement devices can help capture biomechanical data at different scales. For
instance, incorporating pressure sensors, strain gauges, accelerometers, and force plates into a single system
can provide a more comprehensive understanding of biomechanical behavior. Integration of these sensors
with imaging technologies allows for simultaneous data acquisition and correlation ; (3) Computational
[81]

