Technical Characteristics and Biomedical Applications of Flexible Pressure Sensor Matrices: A Scoping Review.

Flexible pressure sensors have been increasingly proposed for clinical monitoring applications. However, the available evidence on the technical characteristics and the biomedical applications of these technologies remains fragmented. To fill this gap, this scoping review aimed to map the available literature (i) to identify the existing flexible pressure sensor matrices proposed for biomedical applications, their technical characteristics, and usage contexts, and (ii) to determine the systems integrated into bed-based support surfaces for clinical monitoring functions. The scoping review was conducted following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched to identify studies published between 2015 and 2025 that describe flexible pressure sensor matrices for biomedical monitoring and care applications. A total of 5021 records were screened, and 45 studies were included. Existing flexible pressure sensor matrices were mainly based on resistive and capacitive principles. Systems integrated into clinical support surfaces were primarily used for pressure distribution and posture monitoring, and spanned from experimental prototypes to commercially available technologies. A lack of technical specifications and relevant heterogeneity was observed among the studies. Flexible pressure sensors demonstrated potential for clinical monitoring, but standardized technological reporting and clinical validation protocols are needed to develop technically robust and clinically oriented pressure sensing solutions.