
Flexible battery-free and chip-free body sensing network based on LC repeater and lightweight reader
LC Repeater-Inspired Battery-free, Chipless, Flexible Body Sensor Network With Lightweight Reader
E.-Z. Lyu, Y.-L. Sung, D.-Y. Hsu, G.-L. Su, T.-W. Wang*, "LC Repeater-Inspired Battery-free, Chipless, Flexible Body Sensor Network With Lightweight Reader," IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, vol. 74, Art no. 4002111, pp. 1-11, 2025.
Physiological sensing system and applicable patch reading device and physiological sensing patch (Invention Patent, Certificate No.: I895104)




Abstract— Body sensor network (BSN) is rapidly evolving in mobile health (m-health), enabling the monitoring of multiple physiological sites through interconnected wireless wearable devices for efficient health management. However, the extensive use of devices on the body often requires substantial batteries and IC chips, increasing system complexity, weight, and cost, thus limiting practical applications. We present a battery-free, chipless physiological sensor employing an on-body passive LC repeater to enhance magnetic coupling between a sensor reader and the biomedical target. The passive LC repeater, encapsulated in flexible TPU, integrates seamlessly with skin or clothing to capture contact and non-contact physiological signals, including heart, lung, carotid, radial, and even femoral signals using an external coil connected to a compact 2.1 cm × 2.3 cm, lightweight 7.8 g sensor reader, simplifying signal acquisition and reducing the complexity of readout techniques compared to cumbersome vector network analyzers (VNAs). To demonstrate its robust performance, the skin-attached passive LC repeater was sprayed with water and fully immersed, yet the sensor reader, positioned 2 cm away, continued to successfully capture physiological signals. In conclusion, this study presents a battery-free, chipless BSN solution utilizing on-body passive LC circuitry characterized by a simple structure, lightweight design, and low cost, ideal for disposable skin electronics and smart clothing, offering superior wearable, unobtrusive, and long-term health monitoring solutions.
Index Terms— Body sensor network, battery-free chipless sensor, LC repeater, mobile health, physiological measurement, resonant circuit.




Abstract: A physiological sensing system includes a physiological sensing patch and a patch reading device. The physiological sensing patch includes a first thin film and electrodes. The electrodes are disposed on the first thin film. The electrodes are configured to receive a first electromagnetic signal and generate a second electromagnetic signal in response to receiving the first electromagnetic signal. The patch reading device includes a transmitting module and a reading module. The transmitting module is configured to output the first electromagnetic signal. The reading module is configured to read the second electromagnetic signal.


On November 21, 2024, student Lu Enzhu won the "2024 IIIC International Innovation Invention Competition - Gold Medal Award".