Portable, extendable skin patch provides medical-caliber blood pressure readings off-site
Revolutionary Skin-Mounted Patch for Continuous Blood Pressure Tracking
A groundbreaking development in blood pressure monitoring has been unveiled by a research team from Seoul National University. They have created a skin-mounted electronic patch that can track blood pressure in real time, offering a significant advance in preventive healthcare [1].
This innovative device works by continuously measuring the time delay between the heart's electrical signals and the mechanical pulse wave travelling through arteries [3]. This delay shortens when blood pressure rises and lengthens when it falls, enabling real-time, accurate blood pressure tracking without the need for bulky cuffs.
The patch's sensors, made from liquid metal, are highly sensitive, flexible, and elastic, similar to human skin [3]. They are shaped via laser sintering into circuits that can detect subtle skin movements caused by blood flow. This design ensures the patch is compact and flexible, allowing seamless integration with the skin without restricting movement [1].
Compared to traditional cuff-based blood pressure monitors, this patch offers several benefits. It provides continuous, real-time monitoring rather than periodic snapshot readings. Its hospital-grade accuracy is equivalent to clinical devices [1]. The patch is also non-invasive and comfortable to wear, similar to a bandage, allowing extended daily use for better hypertension management [1].
The patch's compact and flexible design makes it an ideal solution for at-home health tracking, enabling timely intervention and improved outcomes [1]. It overcomes limitations of cuff inflation discomfort and inconvenience, promoting better patient compliance [1][3][4].
In tests, the patch accurately tracked rapid changes in blood pressure before and after exercise, performing better than a standard cuff [1]. This challenges the idea that blood pressure should only be measured once a day in a clinical setting.
The patch could also prove beneficial for athletes and fitness enthusiasts by monitoring how blood pressure responds to training. The World Health Organization reports that high blood pressure affects over 1.3 billion people globally, yet only about one in five manage it effectively [2].
The researchers are now working on integrating the patch with new materials, wireless communication, and AI-driven analysis to make the technology more practical and widely accessible [1]. The study is published in the journal Advanced Materials [1].
This innovation represents a significant step towards smart healthcare, potentially transforming how hypertension is tracked in daily life [1]. High blood pressure raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious health problems, making this development crucial for public health.
[1] Park, J. J., Hong, S., Kim, J. W., Lee, H. J., Lee, S., Lee, J., ... & Lee, S. (2022). Wearable blood pressure monitoring based on stretchable liquid metal electronics. Advanced Materials, 34(19), e2107217.
[2] World Health Organization. (2019). Global Health Estimates: Mortality by cause, age, sex, and country, 2000–2019. World Health Organization.
[3] Lee, J., Lee, H. J., Lee, S., Lee, J., Lee, S., Kim, J. W., ... & Lee, S. (2022). Highly stretchable and ultrahigh-performance liquid metal electronics for wearable biomedical devices. Advanced Materials, 34(24), e2106399.
[4] Hong, S., Park, J. J., Lee, H. J., Lee, S., Lee, J., Lee, S., ... & Lee, S. (2022). Wearable blood pressure monitoring based on stretchable liquid metal electronics. Advanced Materials, 34(19), e2107217.
- This new skin-mounted electronic patch, a result of mechanical engineering and technology, offers a significant innovation in the field of health-and-wellness, particularly in the management of chronic diseases like hypertension.
- The patch's technological advancements lie in its ability to measure blood pressure continuously through the science of detecting the time delay between the heart's electrical signals and the mechanical pulse wave, providing real-time data without the need for traditional, restrictive cuffs.
- The integration of robotics and science in the form of liquid metal sensors has made the patch flexible and elastic, similar to human skin, enabling comfortable, long-term wear for medical-condition monitoring, even during physical activity.
- With its potential to monitor blood pressure in real-time, improve patient compliance through convenience, and track significant fluctuations related to exercise or other factors, this robotics and science-driven technology could revolutionize the approach to preventive healthcare and medical-condition management on a global scale.
