New stretchable electronic tattoo precisely monitors heart health for days

Combining fashion with technology, researchers have created new ‘electronic tattoos’, which can monitor a person’s heart continuously for days.

A team of researchers from The University of Texas at Austin have developed a device incorporating of two thin-film sensors, able to track heart health for days.

One of the device’s sensors is made of gold and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, while the other one is made of a polymer called polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The latter on produces its own electrical charge when it is subjected to mechanical stress. Both the sensors are attached to a thin sheet of transparent medical dressing, as per New Atlas.

Engineers harvest heart’s energy to power, recharge life-saving devices

The e-tattoo is temporarily adhered to a patient’s chest over their heart where it stretches when their skin as they move, hence causing no discomfort and can remain in place for days. Performing dual functions, the e-tattoo simultaneously utilizes its two sensors to monitor the heart via both electrocardiography (ECG) and seismocardiography (SCG).

As explained by Futurity, ECG involves recording the electrical activity produced with each heartbeat, whereas, SCG measures the chest vibrations that accompany the beating of the heart.

“We can get much greater insight into heart health by the synchronous collection of data from both sources,” said lead researcher Nanshu Lu.

The e-tattoo, for now, has to be hard-wired to a computer, but the team hopes to enable it to wirelessly transfer data to an app on a nearby smartphone. The team is working towards improving the data collection and storage for the device, and also ways to power the e-tattoo wirelessly for longer time.