A research team at the University of California, San Diego has developed a soft, elastic sticker that uses ultrasound technology to monitor blood flow through major arteries and alert patients to strokes and heart attacks. The new ultrasound patch tracks blood flow, facilitating the early detection of cardiovascular problems, as knowing the amount of blood flow through a patient's blood vessels at any moment can assist doctors in diagnosing various cardiovascular diseases, including heart valve issues, poor circulation in the limbs, or artery blockages that could lead to heart attacks.
The innovative device can be tilted at different angles and directed to areas of the body that are not directly under the patch. Shang Xu, who led the team, stated, "This type of wearable device can provide a more comprehensive and accurate picture of what is happening in deep tissues and vital organs like the heart and brain, all from the surface of the skin."
How does the patch work? The patch consists of a thin layer of flexible, elastic polymer that adheres to the skin, incorporating several energy transducers each about a millimeter in size, with each controlled individually by a computer.
There are two operational modes for the patch: in one mode, all energy transducers can be synchronized to transmit ultrasound waves together, focusing on a single spot 14 centimeters deep within the body. In the other mode, the transducers can be programmed to emit asynchronously, producing ultrasound beams that can be directed at varying angles, according to the British newspaper Express.
Chong Wang, a former nanoengineering graduate studying in Xu's lab, remarked, "Sensing signals at such depths poses a significant challenge for wearable electronics. However, this is where the most crucial signals from the body and core organs are buried. We have designed a wearable device that can penetrate deep tissue and sense these vital signals far from the skin. This technology could provide new insights into healthcare."
