A team of researchers has developed an electronic "tattoo" capable of constantly monitoring a patient's blood pressure. The electronic tattoo is made of graphene and can be worn for long periods. It does not interfere with treatment, and allows for seamless collection of health data around the clock.
You're all familiar with the typical way to measure blood pressure in a doctor's office: a blood pressure measuring device combined (sometimes) with the good old stethoscope. Time has taught us that this is not the most reliable method of measuring blood pressure. It's just one data point, and doesn't necessarily capture the whole picture.
The ideal scenario would be continuous monitoring to really understand how the body works, but it is difficult to do outside the clinic. And Smartwatches and fitness trackers are still not reliable enough to handle the job.
A tattoo?
In the study just carried out and published in Nature (I link it here), researchers from two universities in Texas have developed a less invasive tool that can monitor blood pressure over time. The gadget is an electronic tattoo consisting of a graphene sensor enclosed in a substance (researchers say) that is comfortable and pleasant to wear, even for long periods of time, without losing its functionality.
Not just graphene
Research on electronic patches and tattoos continues with great momentum. In addition to those to monitor your heart rate there are others too. For example, to interpret facial expressions, or again for monitor the healing process from injuries and trauma.
The team created a new machine learning model for interpreting readings, because the new graphene device uses a different approach to measuring blood pressure. It works by applying an electrical current to the skin and measuring the body's response (in other terms, through bioimpedance).
This graphene technology is compatible with a wide range of implantable sensors and can be integrated into any type of electronic tattoo.
The researchers now intend to continue their work by developing electronic tattoos for mass diffusion: in the future, it is now clear, we will keep a very close eye on our health parameters.
