Sensors & Wearables

Ultrahigh Sensing Platform

New research unlocks the power of exceptional points (EPs) for advanced optical sensing. Unlike traditional methods that require modifications to the sensor itself, the system features an EP control unit that can plug in to physically separated external sensors. Read on to learn more.

Transdermal Technology: Designing the World’s First Seven-Day Patch for Alzheimer’s

Transdermal technology has been around for a very long time. The popularity of patches, consisting of plant, animal or mineral extracts, dates back to the building of the pyramids in ancient Egypt and in Babylonian medicine, around 3000 BC. How can transdermal patches help in the fight against Alzheimer’s? Read this article to find out.

Dissolvable Microneedle Patch Enables Local Delivery of Immunomodulatory Microparticles

A team searched for small molecules as drug candidates and identified a bifunctional antibiotic, azithromycin (AZM), that not only inhibits bacterial...

Ingestible Pill Inventories GI Tract

A small device, about the size of a vitamin pill, can be swallowed and passed through the gastrointestinal tract to sample the full inventory of microorganisms in an individual’s gastro-intestinal...

Finger Wrap Monitors Health

A sweat-powered wearable has the potential to make continuous, personalized health monitoring as effortless as wearing a Band-Aid. An electronic finger wrap monitors vital chemical levels — such as glucose,...

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on a first-in-class medication that targets specific genetic mutations implicated in many types of cancer; one on new, scalable methods of developing battery- and solar-powered fibers; one on a nanofiber-based biodegradable millirobot, called Fibot, that can move in the intestines and degrade in response to the pH of its environment; and one on a new avenue in the attack against influenza viruses.

Toward a New Era in Flexible Piezoelectric Sensors for Both Humans and Robots

A research team from Shinshu University, Japan, decided to improve flexible piezoelectric sensor design using a well-established manufacturing technique: electrospinning. Read on to learn more about it.

Researchers Create GPS-like Smart Pills with AI

Beyond the use of this device for early detection of peptic ulcers, gastritis, and gastric cancers, there is potential to monitor brain health. How? Read on to find out.

Wearable Devices Get Signal Boost from Innovative Material

An international team of researchers developed the material by embedding clusters of highly dielectric ceramic nanoparticles into an elastic polymer. The material was reverse-engineered to not only mimic skin elasticity and motion types, but also to adjust its dielectric properties to counter the disruptive effects of motion on interfacing electronics, minimize energy loss and dissipate heat.

Monitor Measures Disease Markers

A wearable health monitor can reliably measure levels of important biochemicals in sweat during physical exercise. Read on to learn more about the 3D-printed monitor.

Flexible Film Senses Nearby Movements

A soft, flexible film senses the presence of nearby objects without physically touching them. The study features the new sensor technology to detect eyelash proximity in blink-tracking glasses. Read on to learn more.

Highly Conductive Sensors for Wearables

To advance soft robotics, skin-integrated electronics, and biomedical devices, researchers have developed a 3D-printed material that is soft and stretchable — traits needed for matching the properties of tissues and organs — and that self-assembles. Read on to learn more.

Collaborative Robotics Automates Wearable Tech Design

Researchers have developed a machine learning model that eliminates hassles in materials design to yield green technologies used in wearable heaters. The model could automate design...

Microneedle Patch Reverses Alopecia Hair Loss

A novel treatment approach holds promise for painlessly delivering immune regulators to affected areas of the skin, promoting hair regrowth caused by alopecia areata.

Smart Bandages Improve Chronic Wound Healing

A team of researchers is developing a series of cutting-edge technologies to transform wound care, including smart bandages that would automatically sense and respond to changing conditions...

Sensor Packaging: Critical MEMS Considerations

While MEMS sensors are revolutionizing various industries with their precision and miniaturization, they can present unique product development challenges and risks during design, development, and manufacturing. Read on to learn more.

The Role of Sensors in the Big Picture of Sustainability

In the big picture of medical equipment sustainability, sensors play an important role. That’s right, something so miniature can have quite the impact on maintaining and improving sustainability — from the product design phase to use in equipment in the home. Read on to learn more.

How Advanced Drug-Delivery Systems Are Improving Healthcare

Innovative reusable drug-delivery devices are transforming the administration of high-dose biologics by enabling self-administration of challenging drug formulations. These devices support high viscosity and larger injection volumes, enhancing patient comfort and adherence. Read on to learn more.

Flexible 3D Printed Active Fabric for Healthcare and Robotics

Scientists have developed an innovative wearable fabric that is flexible but can stiffen on demand. Developed through a combination of geometric design, 3D printing, and robotic...

Plaster-Like Microlaser Device Accurately Measures Glucose Levels

Scientists have developed a plaster that measures body biomarkers that can indicate health or disease through sweat, paving the way for a new noninvasive and effective way...

Wearable Patch Provides Accurate, Continuous Measurement

Maintaining bodily water balance is essential for survival. Although sweat serves as a key indicator of physical and mental health, existing wearable technologies can only monitor...

Smartphone-Controlled Microfluidic Detects Flu

A spatial encoding of centrifugal microfluidic disc integrates a smartphone-controlled (SEDphone) platform for detecting influenza virus subtypes.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on research that pioneers transformative approaches to intuitively control prosthetic devices; one on how medical professionals can map the radiation dose within the body, giving them new data to guide treatments in real time; one on a new smart material that is activated by both heat and electricity; and one on what bats can teach us about co-existing with viruses and preventing severe disease.

Wearable Ultrasound Patch Enables Continuous, Noninvasive Monitoring of Cerebral Blood Flow

Engineers have developed a wearable ultrasound patch that can offer continuous, noninvasive monitoring of blood flow in the brain. The soft and stretchy patch can be comfortably worn on the temple to provide three-dimensional data on cerebral blood flow — a first in wearable technology.

Powering Wearable Devices with High-Performing Carbon Nanotube Yarns

The proposed novel approach holds promise for enhancing the thermoelectric performance of CNT materials from yarns to films and bulk structures.

EIT-Based Tactile Sensor

Using electrical impedance tomography (EIT), researchers have developed a system using a flexible tactile sensor for objective evaluation of fine finger movements. Demonstrating high accuracy in classifying diverse...

Sweat Sensor Wristwatch for Real-Time Monitoring

A unique wristwatch contains multiple modules, including a sensor array, a microfluidic chip, signal processing, and a data display system to monitor chemicals in human sweat. It can...

Microneedle Patch Detects Skin Cancer

Researchers have developed a method for detecting malignant melanoma. A new type of patch equipped with microneedles can identify the biomarker tyrosinase directly in the skin.

The Future of Healthcare: Exploring the Impact of Telemedicine and Remote Monitoring Devices

Keeping an eye on emerging trends and innovations in telemedicine and remote monitoring allows manufacturers to stay ahead of the curve and develop products that align with future healthcare needs, such as devices for early cancer detection. Read on to learn more.