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Recent advancements in wearable technology have improved lifestyle and medical practices, enabling personalized care ranging from fitness tracking, to real-time health monitoring, to predictive sensing. Wearable devices serve as an interface between humans and technology; however, this integration is far from seamless. These devices face various limitations such as size, biocompatibility, and battery constraints wherein batteries are bulky, are expensive, and require regular replacement. On-body energy harvesting presents a promising alternative to battery power by utilizing the human body’s continuous generation of energy. This review paper begins with an investigation of contemporary energy harvesting methods, with a deep focus on piezoelectricity. We then highlight the materials, configurations, and structures of such methods for self-powered devices. Here, we propose a novel combination of thin-film composites, kirigami patterns, and auxetic structures to lay the groundwork for an integrated piezoelectric system to monitor and sense. This approach has the potential to maximize energy output by amplifying the piezoelectric effect and manipulating the strain distribution. As a departure from bulky, rigid device design, we explore compositions and microfabrication processes for conformable energy harvesters. We conclude by discussing the limitations of these harvesters and future directions that expand upon current applications for wearable technology. Further exploration of materials, configurations, and structures introduce interdisciplinary applications for such integrated systems. Considering these factors can revolutionize the production and consumption of energy as wearable technology becomes increasingly prevalent in everyday life. 

Increased consumer interest in healthy‐looking skin demands a safe and effective method to increase transdermal absorption of innovative therapeutic cosmeceuticals. However, permeation of small‐molecule drugs is limited by the innate barrier function of the stratum corneum. Here, a conformable ultrasound patch (cUSP) that enhances transdermal transport of niacinamide by inducing intermediate‐frequency sonophoresis in the fluid coupling medium between the patch and the skin is reported. The cUSP consists of piezoelectric transducers embedded in a soft elastomer to create localized cavitation pockets (0.8 cm², 1 mm deep) over larger areas of conformal contact (20 cm²). Multiphysics simulation models, acoustic spectrum analysis, and high‐speed videography are used to characterize transducer deflection, acoustic pressure fields, and resulting cavitation bubble dynamics in the coupling medium. The final system demonstrates a 26.2‐fold enhancement in niacinamide transport in a porcine model in vitro with a 10 min ultrasound application, demonstrating the suitability of the device for short‐exposure, large‐area application of sonophoresis for patients and consumers suffering from skin conditions and premature skin aging.

 

Magnetic nanoparticles have garnered sustained research interest for their promise in biomedical applications including diagnostic imaging, triggered drug release, cancer hyperthermia, and neural stimulation. Many of these applications make use of heat dissipation by ferrite nanoparticles under alternating magnetic fields, with these fields acting as an externally administered stimulus that is either present or absent, toggling heat dissipation on and off. Here, an extension of this concept, magnetothermal multiplexing is demonstrated, in which exposure to alternating magnetic fields of differing amplitude and frequency can result in selective and independent heating of magnetic nanoparticle ensembles. The differing magnetic coercivity of these particles, empirically characterized by a custom high amplitude alternating current magnetometer, informs the systematic selection of a multiplexed material system. This work culminates in a demonstration of magnetothermal multiplexing for selective remote control of cellular signaling in vitro.