Device for monitoring and treatment is now possible to draw directly on the skin plantanthera Solovyov
Scientists at the University of Houston (University of Houston, USA) announced the development of brand new technology, in which the monitoring, prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries produced
using medical sensors applied directly on the skin of the patient with special ink.
Accurate extraction of physiological and physical signals from the human skin is critical for health monitoring, disease prevention and treatment, scientists say. Thanks
direct interaction of electronic devices with the skin can extract information such as the condition of the heart, muscles, complex electrical resistance (impedance) and hydration of the skin.
However, existing devices of wearable electronics – fitness trackers, sensors, ECG and a number of other useful sensors, including recent advances in flexible and stretchable bio electronic
patches that can monitor user’s physical activity, his muscle tone, heart rate, temperature, and moisture characteristics of the skin, allowing you to monitor
his health. But they all have a number of disadvantages, the main of which is high sensitivity to artifacts (errors made during the study) of motion, and lack
proper adhesion (adhesion) with the biological surface (in this case – with the patient’s skin), especially during movement. All this leads to misinterpretation of results, erroneous
diagnosis and, as a consequence, a significant reduction in the quality of life of patients.
A new type of wearable technology developed in the United States, called Drawn-on-skin electronics (“Applied electronics”). Scientists propose to apply different medical sensors and circuits
directly on the skin of the patient. The new technology will allow doctors not only to gather information about the state of his health – monitor muscle tone, heart rate,
the temperature and moisture characteristics of the skin – regardless of its physical activity, but also to accelerate the healing of wounds.
The technology consists of three different types of special ink, having properties of conductor, semiconductor and dielectric, as well as a special pen. Multifunctional sensors and circuits –
transistors, strain gauges, temperature sensors, heaters, sensors, skin hydration, and electrophysiological sensors “drawn” directly on the skin using stencils.
Compared to existing wearable and/or printed bioelectronics, Drawn-on-skin electronics has numerous advantages. So, for its manufacture does not require complex
specialized equipment, electronic materials can be applied to dynamic active surface (patient’s skin), and immunity to motion artifacts is without
need additional hardware or computation.
Electrophysiological monitoring of the signal showed immunity Drawn-on-skin electronics to mechanical deformation and motion artifacts, stable performance in the presence of secreted by the skin
sweat, reliable waveform capture for a long time.
Such sensors are practically not felt by the patient. To damage them or remove the skin will not work – it showed in the tests for peeling, the rubbing and deformation of the skin. Any defects in devices
Drawn-on-skin electronics to eliminate very easily, while the damage to other wearable devices require a complete replacement.
Finally, electrical stimulation produced applied to the skin electronics, demonstrated a beneficial effect on damaged skin. Electrodes Drawn-on-skin electronics easily
customized to any shape and size of the wound, application of pulsed electrical stimulation promotes rapid healing, especially in phases of proliferation and remodeling tissue. In the example
given by scientists in the description of the technology, appear skin wounds from comminuted wounds, which often get the soldiers during the hostilities. The process of complete healing of such wounds can take
several days to several months.
All this makes such decisions almost indispensable for personalized treatment, as well as in situations where access to sophisticated equipment can not be obtained.
Detailed description of the technology and of the tests presented in the paper “Ultra-conformal drawn-on-skin electronics for multifunctional motion artifact-free sensing and
point-of-care treatment” of the journal “Nature communications”.
wearable computers
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