Sensors & Wearables

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have surpassed the fundamental limits of a conventional Field-Effect-Transistor (FET) by designing a Tunnel-FET (T-FET) sensor that is faster and four orders of magnitude more sensitive, opening doors to a new generation of ultra-sensitive biosensors that...

An integrated microfluidics-waveguide sensor developed at Stanford University School of Medicine has the potential to simplify the diagnosis of diseases ranging from life-threatening immune deficiencies to the common cold. The device sorts and counts cells in small samples of...

Inspired by the paper-folding art of origami, scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a 3D paper sensor that may be able to test for diseases such as malaria and HIV for less than 10 cents a pop. One-dimensional paper sensors, such as those used in pregnancy tests,...

Following an orthopedic procedure, surgeons usually rely on X-rays or MRIs to monitor the progress of their patients' recovery. A new implantable sensor developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute could provide surgeons with detailed, real-time information from the actual...

On an episode of "Shark Tank" (a reality TV show in which people present their business ideas to a panel of potential investors, or "sharks"), a man proposed the idea of a surgically implanted Bluetooth set. The "sharks" laughed him right out of the tank, reasoning that nobody would want to undergo a...

Purdue University researchers have developed a miniature medical sensor that could be powered by music with a strong bass rhythm, such as rap. Acoustic waves from rap music were found to effectively recharge the pressure sensor. Such a device could ultimately help treat people with aneurysms or...

In 1999, Boston Micromachines Corporation, a newly formed company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for space-based adaptive optical technology. The Phase I led to a Phase II SBIR with JPL and...

Creating devices for the high-stress rigors of space travel pushes designers to their limits, and the results often far exceed the original concepts. The technologies developed for the extreme environment of space are often applicable here on Earth. Some of these NASA technologies, for example, have...

inXitu, Inc. specializes in developing technologies required to enable the next generation of scientific instruments used for materials analysis. The technology used in inXitus portable rock and mineral analyzer received a prestigious R&D 100 award and was chosen to fly on the Mars Science Laboratory...

The process of monitoring blood glucose levels through finger pricking is an inconvenience at best for the estimated 26 million diabetics in the U.S. It's no mystery why researchers have continued to set their sights on developing more convenient and less invasive methods of monitoring glucose...

Systems for monitoring vital signs while driving could help measure stress levels, among other health parameters — effectively "driving" the concept of multi-tasking to a new level. By integrating sensors into the steering wheel, scientists at TU Muenchen Chair of Micro Technology and Medical Device Technology (MiMed) have...

In yet another example of how medical technology designed for humans in space can also benefit humans on Earth, Radisens Diagnostics (Cork, Ireland) recently announced that it will be working with the European Space Agency to develop a blood testing device. According to the press release, the ESA contracted the...

A team of researchers from the University of California, Davis has transformed everyday iPhones into medical-quality imaging and chemical detection devices. Though they are not the first to tweak the smartphone in this way, this represents a simpler and more affordable method. Using materials...

Universities are a breeding ground for innovation, but in order for those innovations to benefit the public, they must progress beyond the theoretical or prototype level — which requires adequate funding. A promising development was recently announced in California: Five teams of scientists from the...

The Tacit, a haptic sonar glove that helps a visually impaired person navigate complex environments, has been released as a public prototype. The invention uses ultrasonic sensors to sense objects from about 1 inch to 10 feet away, and translates that information into pressure on the user's wrist.

Engineers are taking important steps toward a future in which skin-mounted electronics could monitor individuals in a natural environment and even offer the potential for human-computer interfacing — all with the flexibility and comfort of a temporary tattoo.

Finger pricking may be a means to an end for diabetics who need to track their blood glucose levels, but it's a pain — both literally and figuratively speaking. They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and the necessity for a better alternative to the finger-pricking method is...