Harnessing HfO 2 Nanoparticles for Wearable Tumor Monitoring and Sonodynamic Therapy in Advancing Cancer Care.

Addressing the critical requirement for real-time monitoring of tumor progression in cancer care, this study introduces an innovative wearable platform. This platform employs a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film embedded with hafnium oxide nanoparticles (HfO 2 NPs) to facilitate dynamic tracking of tumor growth and regression in real time. Significantly, the synthesized HfO 2 NPs exhibit promising characteristics as effective sonosensitizers, holding the potential to efficiently eliminate cancer cells through ultrasound irradiation. The TPU-HfO 2 film, acting as a dielectric elastomer (DE) strain sensor, undergoes proportional deformation in response to changes in the tumor volume, thereby influencing its electrical impedance. This distinctive behavior empowers the DE strain sensor to continuously and accurately monitor alterations in tumor volume, determining the optimal timing for initiating HfO 2 NP treatment, optimizing dosages, and assessing treatment effectiveness. Seamless integration with a wireless system allows instant transmission of detected electrical impedances to a smartphone for real-time data processing and visualization, enabling immediate patient monitoring and timely intervention by remote medical staff. By combining the dynamic tumor monitoring capabilities of the TPU-HfO 2 film with the sonosensitizer potential of HfO 2 NPs, this approach propels cancer care into the realm of telemedicine, representing a significant advancement in patient treatment.