3D-printed self-powered triboelectric fiber sensors for
This technology is a new way to manufacture self-powered, stretchable sensor fibers using a modified 3D printing process. A conductive wire core is coated in silicone as the printer moves, creating a flexible fiber that generates its own small electrical signal when bent, stretched, or pressed — no battery needed. These fibers can be printed into flat sheets, meshes, or hollow 3D shapes and sewn or attached to clothing, face masks, or directly onto organs. The result is a sensor system that can detect human movement, monitor breathing, track organ health during medical procedures, or even recognize silent lip movements.
What you could build
A wearable sensor platform — think smart garments, instrumented face masks, or organ-monitoring patches — built on printed self-powered fiber meshes; primary buyers would be medical device companies developing post-surgical organ monitoring tools and wearable health tech firms.
Who in Virginia should care
Virginia-based defense contractors and health-tech firms near the Northern Virginia/DC corridor, plus academic medical centers like VCU Health or Inova, would be plausible partners for wearable monitoring and surgical sensing applications.
Readiness: Prototype likely
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Blake JOHNSON, Yuxin TONG, John ROBERTSON, Xiaoting JIA, Ziang FENG
- Granted
- November 4, 2025
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 12463558
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.