Sensors & Wearables

Device Detects Infections from Skin Temperature

An international team has developed an intelligent device capable of monitoring the temperature of the skin continuously and accurately. The device uses a thermoelectric system that works...

Ultrasonic Welding: Key Considerations for Designing Medical Wearables

The trend toward medical wearables will continue to grow in the coming years. At the same time, the requirements for skin compatibility, wearing comfort, and sustainability are increasing. Ultrasonic welding offers a reliable alternative to conventional bonding techniques to meet these increasing requirements. Read on to learn more.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on 3D printing complex, more durable robots from a variety of high-quality materials in one go; one on a fully digital design-to-manufacturing process that has the potential to revolutionize lower limb socket production; one on commercial and open-source electronic circuit boards that can be embedded into soft robots; and one on scalable methods of developing battery- and solar-powered fibers, making it theoretically possible for electrical energy to be harvested from, and stored in the clothing.

Researchers Explore the Future of Wearable Multisensory Haptics

While early haptic devices focused on single-sensory cues like vibration-based notifications, modern advancements have paved the way for multisensory haptic devices that...

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on monitoring brain blood flow with a wearable ultrasound patch; one on the Air Curtain, an invisible mask to kill viruses and block nearly all aerosols; one on helping amputees walk normally; and one on building a bionic eye using ‘bioinspiration.'

Space-Based Tech for Home Health Monitoring

Technologies from NASA, federal labs, and universities have found commercial applications in the medical industry. Read on, as this article highlights some of those spin-off innovations.

Scientists Develop ‘Smart Pajamas’ to Monitor Sleep Disorders

Researchers have developed comfortable, washable smart pajamas that can monitor sleep disorders such as sleep apnea at home, without the need for sticky patches, cumbersome equipment or a visit to a specialist sleep clinic. Read on to learn more.

Tiny Spectral Sensor Identifies Materials

Researchers have combined miniaturized hardware and intelligent algorithms to create a cost-effective, compact powerful tool capable of solving real-world problems in areas like healthcare. Read on to learn more.

Pacifier Monitors NICU Babies

Researchers have developed a pacifier designed to monitor a baby’s electrolyte levels in real time, potentially eliminating the need for repeated invasive blood draws. The team constructed a tiny tunnel, or microfluidic channel, into the body of the pacifier. Read on to learn more.

Smart Sensor Enables Better Wound Healing

A major challenge in self-powered wearable sensors for healthcare monitoring is distinguishing different signals when they occur at the same time. Researchers have addressed this issue by uncovering...

Reimagining Psychiatric Care: How Wearable Technology Is Transforming Mental Health Treatment

Wearable technology is transforming psychiatric care at home by offering real-time insights that help care teams make informed decisions faster. With constant monitoring, these devices help identify early signs of distress or deterioration, enabling timely interventions that can prevent hospitalizations and promote better patient outcomes. Read on to learn more.

Is Digital Health Evolving Too Quickly?

Digital health is evolving in leaps and bounds, which could be threatening its success. Digital healthcare faces a significant challenge: it is evolving too rapidly for its target market. Read on to learn more about the situation.

Product Focus: Sensors

See where the product focus is this month: sensors, including a programmable IMU-based sensor system from Bosch Sensortec; tactile force sensors from Tekscan; capacitive sensors from EBE sensors + motion; and Introtek's noninvasive air bubble sensor that incorporates the latest ultrasonic technology.

Laser-Made, Ultra-Thin Material Enables Precise, Self-Powered Tracking of Healing Wounds

A major challenge in self-powered wearable sensors for healthcare monitoring is distinguishing different signals when they occur at the same time. Researchers from Penn State and China’s Hebei University of Technology addressed this issue by uncovering a new property of a sensor material. Read on to learn more about it.

Smart Textile Senses Light, Pressure, Smell, and Even Taste

Researchers have developed a multifunctional sensor based on semiconductor fibers that emulates the five human senses. The technology developed in the study is expected to be utilized in fields such as wearables, Internet of Things (IoT), electronic devices, and soft robotics. Read on to learn more.

Soft, Bioelectronic Sensor Implant Monitors Brain

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and New York’s Columbia University have embedded transistors in a soft, conformable material to create a biocompatible sensor implant that monitors neurological functions through successive phases of a patient’s development. Read on to learn more.

From the Editor - The 2024 Product of the Year

In December, we asked Medical Design Briefs readers to cast their ballot to choose from our eight Products of the Month the technology they felt was the most significant new introduction to the design engineering community in 2024. Here is the winner of the 2024 Medical Design Briefs’ Readers’ Choice Product of the Year. Read on to learn more.

Proof of Life: The Rapid Evolution of Biosensors for Fitness, Health, and Wellness

While smartwatches and fitness trackers have paved the way, upcoming innovations in hearables (earbuds that monitor health), augmented reality glasses, smart patches and smart clothing will push the boundaries of what biosensors can do. As demand for these devices increases, the focus will shift to making them more energy-efficient, secure, and even more embedded in daily life. Read on to learn more.

Optical Biosensor Detects Monkeypox Virus

Researchers have developed an optical biosensor that can rapidly detect monkeypox, the virus that causes mpox. The technology could allow clinicians to diagnose the disease at the point of care rather than wait for lab results. Read on to learn more.

E-Tattoo Reads Brainwaves

A conductive ink can be printed directly on the surface of a patient’s head and measure their brainwaves. These e-tattoos serve as the sensors for electroencephalography (EEG), a medical test that measures the brain’s electrical activity. EEG can help diagnose and monitor brain tumors, sleep disorders and other brain issues. Read on to learn more.

Wearable Ultrasound Tech for Muscle Monitoring

Engineers have developed a wearable ultrasound device that can provide long-term, wireless monitoring of muscle activity with potential applications in healthcare and human-machine interfaces. Designed to stick to the skin with a layer of adhesive and powered by a battery, the device enables high-resolution tracking of muscle function without invasive procedures. Read on to learn more.

Wearable Device Combines Multiple Sensors

A new device aims to detect acute exacerbations of chronic conditions. The wearable monitoring device contains multiple types of sensors, enabling faster and more accurate detection of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic conditions like asthma, heart disease and other inflammatory disorders. Read on to learn more about it.

2025 Trends in Healthcare: Bridging Technology, Personalization, and Accessibility

The healthcare landscape in 2025 will be reshaped by advancements in data analytics, AI, IoT, and wearable technologies, which together promise predictive, personalized, and accessible care. Read on to learn more about Editor and Director of Medical Content Sherrie Trigg's, as well as other industry professionals', thoughts on the matter.

Medical Podcasts

Listen to MDB's medical podcasts, including one on the rise of advanced sensor technologies; one on the advancements that allow for continuous, real-time data collection from within the human body; one on the exploration of devices from fitness trackers to smartwatches; and one on the transformative role of microfabrication and MEMS technology in advancing sensor integration for medical devices. Listen now!

Researchers Develop Microchips That Detect and Diagnose Diseases

New research from NYU shows it’s possible to develop and build microchips that can not only identify multiple diseases from a single cough or air sample, but can also be produced at scale. Read on to learn more.

Gel-Based Nanogenerators for Wearables

Researchers have developed a gel polymer-based triboelectric nanogenerator that generates electrical signals from body movement to power electronics like LEDs and functions as a self-powered touch panel for user identification. The device can stretch up to 375 percent of its original size and withstand rigorous mechanical deformations, making it suitable for wearable applications. Read on to learn more.

Sensors Charge Biological Cells

A team has developed new biosensors with which the ratio of NADPH to NADP+ can be measured in living cells in real time for the first time. The team’s observations provide new insights into the evolution of the most important protective function of cells, cellular detoxification. Read on to learn more.

Efficient Wearable Energy Harvester

Researchers have developed a three-dimensional stretchable piezoelectric energy harvester that can harvest electrical energy using body movements. The device is to be used as a wearable energy harvester as it can be attached to the skin or clothes. Read on to learn more.