The flexible circuit also enables a large number of electrodes to be in contact with the skin over a small space—an improvement over current electrodes that typically are individually applied and wired.
And instead of requiring potentially irritating adhesive gel or tape, it takes advantage of nonspecific, generalized adhesion forces, known as van der Waals forces—the same ones that allow geckos to walk up walls. "We're exploiting mechanical processes and geometries to optimize the strength of that adhesion force," Rogers explained in the podcast. "You can put it on like a temporary tattoo, and it will stay there." It stays in place even in the shower, he reports.
In current tests, the patches have stayed on for about a week. Adding some sort of adhesive would probably help seal the deal in the real world, Rogers says. But he likes that the current version shows that external adhesives are "not absolutely required."
Going wireless
Getting power to such a small, flexible patch is a key issue in making it usable. Currently, the team has been able to integrate inductive coils that can pick up power when a nearby primary source operates at high enough levels to power LEDs and other components.
But what happens if someone needs to wear this thing all around town? The next step will be to integrate capacitors or batteries that can store power for later. And borrowing from the already-existing flexible photovoltaic technology, the team is looking toward solar as a possible partner for a built-in battery.
To be a major breakthrough, though, the patch will ultimately need to be entirely wireless. The developers currently rely on small wires that connect to slim ribbon cables to download information, but is already at work integrating wireless radio capabilities.
Like a temporary tattoo, these patches do not cling forever. Rogers pointed out that with the skin's constant renewal, a cycle that takes about two weeks, the patch would need to be replaced. As Zheng notes, the silicon in the new patch is itself part of the device. So "the wafer used for fabrication is not reusable," she says. With her group's mid-layer, the silicon wafer can be used again and again.
Body language
Research at Johns Hopkins University has shown that "these devices are not just used to monitor the body but to stimulate it," Rogers said. "The electrical interface works in the other direction as well, so you can stimulate muscle contractions." And being slim and streamlined means that the device "doesn't restrain the motion of the muscle" in the process.
The technology could also some day aid in wound healing, by providing heat or electrical stimulation around a wound. With light integration, the circuits could also be used to assess tissue via spectroscopy.
The device has been attached to subjects' throats as they speak, and using a computer program to recognize patterns, the signals can navigate simple video games with verbal controls. Such communication methods could also be useful for those who suffer from diseases that affect the larynx, as well as possibly controlling prosthetics, Rogers noted.
Rogers hopes that one day they would be able to change the chip's language from that of voltage to one that is more readily understandable to the body, such as fluids and ions. And that would enable interaction "with the tissues at a very deep level," Rogers noted.
In the meantime, mc10 is already working to bring a version of the patch to market. And they have reportedly struck a deal with Reebok to start integrating these sorts of sensors into sportsware.
Although her group could be competing with Rogers's, Zheng says that she is "happy to see that we are working toward the same goal [but] with different approaches."
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8 Comments
Add CommentOne use I'm thinking of is temporary tattoos that could take your vitals while you're in the waiting room.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Like a temporary tattoo, these patches do not cling forever." could they be made to be more like real tattoos? I can imagine a network of RF tattoos that communicate with the user and the world around them. Imagine a sensor that can tell you what you need to eat or avoid, that could provide early warning for disease, that can integrate with machines to provide additional interface points. If they are deep enough in the dermis they should be somewhat permanent.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"The goal is really to blur the distinction between electronics and biological tissues,"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt looks like Kurzweil is right. The singularity is here.
A permanent tattoo is not logical decision due to the fact that technology evolves so quickly that you would be getting a new tattoo every year just you could update/accommodate any new medical technology. With a temporary tattoo like design you could simply wipe off the old/out dated and apply updated version.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this...and of course, it will be fully paid for by Medicare and Medicaid for their covered patients!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe need for "two small wires" to collect data (connected to a small data collector/transceiver- and more profits) would make this less useful for real-life usage. How are these "two small wires" protected from snags and pulls during normal daily actions?
It looks like there is a lot of work to be done yet, and a wireless interface to the data collector is probably going to entail a longer development path and a larger patch in the final product.
Not that these technological innovations being developed are going to be cheerily supported by the current negative political environment. The future is what we make of it, if we can afford it.
Not really. It seems like this is just a more convenient version of what we had before. There's still a lot of progress to be made before Kurzweil's world becomes a probability. Remember, there are a lot of singularitans (SP?) who believe that Kurzweil's predictions are a little out there.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOr then they could make it into a permanent tatoo and track you for the rest of your life. Weird? I don't think so...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhy do most americans assume the worst when it comes to technology but do not have a problem believing in invisible friends.
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