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School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering
Mechatronics postdoctoral fellow pioneers self-powered continuous blood pressure monitor
A new advancement in blood pressure (BP) monitoring could streamline efforts for continuous tracking.
Despite progress in wearable medical technology, measuring BP relies on cuff-based monitoring. This can be quite disruptive, interfering with a person鈥檚 daily activities and making uninterrupted tracking difficult.
To address this issue, Tae-Ho Kim a postdoctoral fellow from the School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering (MSE) has developed a self-powered continuous blood pressure monitor. The wearable consists of a neckband with earphones that is portable, user-friendly and delivers precise measurements every few seconds. The innovation is detailed in a recent published on February 12, 2025.
鈥淎s BP monitoring plays a crucial role in assessing a patient鈥檚 health, there is an increasing need for an active care system. Our current cuff-based systems are inconvenient, bulky and require a 30-second delay to obtain results,鈥� explains Kim.
鈥淏y developing a cuffless monitor, patients can carry on with their daily routines without interruptions, while healthcare professionals can effectively analyze the continuous changes in their patients鈥� blood pressure.鈥�
Kim, his teammates at 911吃瓜鈥檚 Biomechatronic Systems Laboratory (BSL) and MSE professor Edward Park鈥攚ho leads BSL and co-directs 911吃瓜's WearTech Lab鈥� have integrated a triboelectric pulse-wave sensor into the wearable, combining it with a traditional box-knot textile design. The sensor converts mechanical energy from a person鈥檚 neck pulse into electrical signals, enabling highly sensitive detection of subtle pressure changes. By incorporating knotting methods, the device forms a multi-stacked structure that enhances the sensor鈥檚 sensitivity.
Last month, Kim was honoured for his revolutionary work at the , receiving the Outstanding Innovation Award. The accolade recognizes exceptional Mitacs participants whose research delivers major societal and economic impact and shows strong potential to drive innovation and tackle key challenges.
鈥淩eceiving the Mitacs Innovation Award is both a personal milestone and a professional catalyst,鈥� says Kim.
鈥淧ersonally, it validates years of work spent integrating materials, sensors and an embedded intelligent system into a unified platform for real-world impact. Professionally, this award strengthens and provides evidence for the innovation pipeline I have been building with Canada鈥檚 leading partners, including organizations such as Medtronic and Human in Motion Robotics. It also acknowledges the success of one of 911吃瓜鈥檚 Core Facilities, the WearTech Lab, which has provided essential research space, equipment and technical support for this project.鈥�
Kim expresses his gratitude to professor Park for his guidance, to his lab mates Dominic, Saboorra, Nadia and Mahdi for their encouragement and collaboration, and to the Medtronic team for their support鈥攁ll of which helped him achieve success.
He also credits the MSE program for contributing to his research achievements and academic growth.
鈥淭he program has been central to my development and is the primary reason I chose to remain at 911吃瓜 for both my PhD and postdoctoral training. MSE uniquely integrates materials science, intelligent sensing, robotics and applied manufacturing within a single collaborative ecosystem鈥攁n environment that is rare in Canada,鈥� explains Kim.
鈥淚 was fortunate to work with my PhD committee members, including professors Carolyn Sparrey, Woo Soo Kim and Edward Park, whose mentorship and support significantly broadened my research perspectives.鈥�
As for the next phase of his BP monitor, Kim aims to evolve the device to include a new spectroscopic metric鈥攖he blood-vessel-density (BVD) factor鈥攖o reduce calibration variability in cuffless BP estimation. Through these advancements, he seeks to support the creation of more inclusive healthcare technologies.