Researchers at Monash University have developed a new skin patch using nanotechnology that can monitor 11 different health signals in humans. This innovative technology combines nanotechnology and artificial intelligence, bringing us closer to a future where machines can communicate with our bodies.
The patch, which is worn on the neck, consists of three layers and is incredibly thin. It can measure speech, neck movement, touch, breathing, and heart rates. The team of researchers believes that this technology has the potential to revolutionize remote healthcare and become the basis for personal alarms and communication devices.
The lead researcher, Professor Wenlong Cheng, explains that these wearable patches, made of soft electronics, can act as a second skin for monitoring vital signs, designing perception robotics, and facilitating interactions between natural and artificial intelligence.
Another research team member, Associate Professor Zongyuan Ge, has developed a neural network called Deep Hybrid-Spectro. This network can automatically monitor multiple biometrics using a single signal. The next step is personalising these sensors by programming them with more sophisticated algorithms to tailor them to individuals since everyone's unique body signals are unique.
The sensor comprises a cracked platinum film, vertically aligned gold nanowires, and a percolated gold nanowire film. The neck was chosen as the location for the patch because it is the most sensitive skin on the body and connects to various physiological activities such as speech, heartbeats, breathing, touch, and neck movement.
The research was conducted at the Monash Nanobionics lab, the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN), the Victorian Node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF), and the Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy. The findings were published in Nature Nanotechnology, and this breakthrough has the potential to transform healthcare and human-machine interactions.
