NFC/RFID-enabled wearables and implants for biomedical applications

Abstract

Near Field Communication (NFC) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies offer wireless data transmission and energy supply for flexible wearable and implantable sensing systems. By eliminating bulky batteries or external wiring, these technologies significantly advance personalized medicine through wearable and implantable systems with reduced size, increased flexibility, and improved mechanical adaptability to the human body. This multidisciplinary research area encompasses the fundamental mechanisms of antenna theory, simulation & design, micro/nano-fabrication, and their biomedical applications. This review provides an overview of emerging wireless, personalized/decentralized biomedical devices focusing on NFC/RFID antennas design mechanisms, flexible NFC/RFID-based physical, chemical, and biosensors, as well as drug delivery implants. Moreover, challenges and future directions regarding flexible NFC/RFID-based systems are provided. Advancing this field will require collaborative efforts from researchers in antenna design, materials science, biology, and medical care, driving the development of NFC/RFID in biomedical applications.

Fig. 1

Illustration of general flexible NFC/RFID-based sensing systems for wearable and implantable biomedical applications, including antenna design^,, Copyright 2019, Springer Nature, Copyright 2021, IEEE; physical sensors^,, Copyright 2019, Springer Nature, Copyright 2022, ACS; bio/chemical sensors^,, Copyright 2018, ACS, Copyright 2023, Elsevier; and drug delivery systems^,, Copyright 2024, Springer Nature, Copyright 2020, AAAS

Fig. 2. Design mechanisms of NFC/RFID antenna circuit.

a Geometry of rectangular microstrip patch antenna. b Electric field line distribution in the side view of a rectangular microstrip patch antenna. c Top view of rectangular microstrip patch antenna. d Equivalent circuit of a LC resonant sensor^,. Copyright 2021, IEEE; Copyright 2015, MDPI. e Equivalent circuit of the NFC wireless power transfer system. f Geometric shapes of planar spiral coil for energy transmission. g Geometric shape and side view of planar rectangular coil for energy transmission

Fig. 3. A variety of NFC/RFID-based contact lens designs with the ability to monitor IOP.

a Schematic illustration of the resistive wireless IOP sensing contact lens, and the equivalent circuit diagram. Copyright 2020, ACS. b Schematic diagram of the capacitive smart contact lens and the reader integrated in the glasses. Copyright 2022, ACS. c Schematic illustration of the mechanism by which an overall flexible contact lens measures IOP. Copyright 2017, Springer Nature. d Schematic illustration of the contact lens integration system with the introduction of NFC chip, the enlarged part is schematic illustration of the printed free-standing 3D interconnects on the metallic pads of an NFC chip. Copyright 2021, Springer Nature. e Closed-loop smart contact lens integrated with a flexible drug delivery system and a microchip, which are designed for the monitoring and control of IOP. Copyright 2022, Springer Nature

Fig. 4. Stretchable NFC/RFID-based strain sensor.

a The wireless Ti₃C₂T_x MXene strain sensor. Copyright 2020, ACS. b A wireless sensing system with embroidered NFC and rGO/wool-knitted strain sensor. Copyright 2020, ACS. c A near-field multi-body area network integrated into textiles. Copyright 2021, Springer Nature. d Battery-free sensor networks based on near-field-enabled clothing. Copyright 2020, Springer Nature. e Photograph of a RFID sensor node for sensing the pulse on a human wrist. Copyright 2019, Springer Nature. f Photograph of a person wearing multiple strain sensors. Copyright 2019, Springer Nature. g The total system of RFID tag sensor incorporating a flexible diode. Copyright 2021, Springer Nature

Fig. 5. Flexible wearable NFC/RFID-based sensors that can monitor multiple physical quantities.

a The NFC-based smart bandage for wireless strain and temperature real-time monitoring. Copyright 2021, IEEE. b A photograph of the flexible sensor that monitors the temperature and pressure at the bony prominence before encapsulation. Copyright 2021, Springer Nature. c Photograph of the battery-free, wireless sensing platform that includes crack-activated pressure sensor, temperature sensor, and GSR sensor. Inset shows the GSR sensor located at the back side of flexible PCB. Copyright 2023, Springer Nature. d Schematic illustration of the overall system integrated with a wheelchair. Copyright 2023, Springer Nature. e Sensor arrays that can continuous monitoring and mapping of pressure and temperature distribution. Copyright 2023, Wiley-VCH. f A group of thin and comfortable wireless temperature and pressure sensor systems distributed throughout the body, the enlarged part is the individual sensor section structure. Copyright 2018, AAAS. g Illustration of wireless, battery-free multimodal sensors on a residual limb and NFC/BLE modules on the outer surface of a prosthetic socket. Copyright 2020, AAAS

Fig. 6. Different designs of NFC/RFID-based implantable sensors.

a Wireless, battery-free optoelectronic systems as subdermal implants for local tissue oximetry (upper) and a wireless optoelectronic probe to monitor oxygenation in deep brain tissue (lower). Copyright 2019, AAAS; Copyright 2024, Springer Nature. b Subcutaneous implants for wireless power and data transmission. Copyright 2023, Springer Nature. c Schematic illustration of the sensing part. Copyright 2023, Springer Nature. d Photograph of the dissolved device placed in a simulated environment (equivalent to 14 days after the device was implanted in a mouse). Copyright 2016, Springer Nature. e Biodegradable, flexible and passive arterial-pulse sensor design. Copyright 2019, Springer Nature. f Wireless, fully implantable cardiac stimulation and recording device for closed-loop pacing and defibrillation. Copyright 2022, AAAS. g Schematic illustration of the Flexible implantable closed-loop multimodal sensing system. Copyright 2023, Springer Nature

Fig. 7. NFC/RFID-based sensors for gas monitoring.

a Construction of NFC tags for semi-quantitative detection of ammonia and explosive gases. Copyright 2014, NAS. b NFC tag used to detect gases produced by meat spoilage. Copyright 2018, ACS. c GUI interface on a smartphone displaying detecting results of various gases and humidity in food packaging. Copyright 2017, ACS. d Smart facemask with integrated flexible NFC tag for wireless CO₂ monitoring. Copyright 2022, Springer Nature. e Structure of a RF-based sensor for respiratory virus detection in forms of aerosol and saliva droplets. Copyright 2024, Springer Nature. f Mechanism of transduction of electrical signal. Copyright 2024, Springer Nature

Fig. 8. NFC/RFID-based sensors used to monitor biomarker concentrations in biological fluids.

a Smart textile NFC sensor that can be integrated on clothing for surface temperature and humidity sensing. Copyright 2020, IEEE. b Side-view of the sweat monitoring patch, including an NFC-enabled flexible circuit board and a stretchable electrode array. Copyright 2019, Elsevier. c A battery-free hybrid system which NFC electronics can be reversibly magnetically attached to a microfluidic patch. Copyright 2019, AAAS. d A RFID sensing device implanted subcutaneously to monitor the concentration of glucose in tissue fluid. Copyright 2015, IEEE. e Electronic systems and charging coils of wearable microneedle array. Copyright 2022, Springer Nature. f A smart contact lens which can simultaneously monitor intraocular pressure and glucose. Copyright 2017, Springer Nature. g A smart contact lens with double electrode structure. Copyright 2012, IOP. h Wireless smart contact lens for diabetic diagnosis and therapy. Copyright 2023, AAAS

Fig. 9. NFC/RFID-based wearable and implantable drug delivery systems.

a A smart wound dressing that detects the various physiological parameters of the wound surface and delivers drugs. Copyright 2021, Wiley-VCH. b A wireless and closed-loop smart dressing that releases drugs by heating liquid metal coils. Copyright 2023, Wiley-VCH. c Schematic illustration of a soft, wireless implantable drug delivery system in the subcutaneous region with images of the front and backside of the system. Copyright 2021, AAAS. d The biodegradable RF drug delivery device can realize multiple drug delivery. Copyright 2020, AAAS. e Drug release simulation. Copyright 2020, AAAS. f The degradation process of a soft implantable energy supply system that can be charged wirelessly. Copyright 2023, AAAS

Fig. 10

Developing from wearable devices on the body surface to implantable devices in vivo, future NFC/RFID-based systems aim to cover both routine monitoring to clinical diagnostics, and enable real-time monitoring and control of intervention strategies via mobile terminals, offering promising solutions for next-generation smart healthcare and personalized medicine