Evaluation of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) integrated sensor for physiological temperature detection

Abstract

In the human body, maintaining the core body temperature (CBT) is vital to ensure proper cellular and body functions. The temperature of 37°C (98°F) is the well-established baseline for CBT, but significant deviations to under 35°C (95°F) or over 40°C (104°F) can result in several health complications. If unnoticed in spaceflight, astronauts CBT could reach dangerously high levels when doing physically challenging tasks such as spacewalking or exercise. Therefore, a real-time multi-physiological parameter sensing system is needed to noninvasively monitor the status of crew members in space. The purpose of this paper is to test a novel temperature sensor developed by integrating thin sheets of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a temperature dependent dielectric material, into the sensor system designed as a substrate. This substrate interacts with the electromagnetic field created by the spiral sensor to result in a quantitative temperature monitoring sensor with a resolution of 1°C.