To get this combination of
reduced scale & high sensitivity, the research team used a thin middle
layer of compressible rubber covered with tiny pyramid-shaped bumps only a few
microns wide. If pressure is applied the pyramids deform slightly, which
results in a calculable change in the electromagnetic field & the current
flow in the device.
The degree of sensitivity
achieved by the monitor means that when placed monitor on a patient’s wrist it
can determine the two distinct peaks of the pulse wave as well as fluctuations,
opening up the possibility for extremely detailed diagnostics. For example, you
can use the ratio of the two peaks of the pulse wave to determine the stiffness
of the artery.
This device offers obvious
advantages in situations where the pulse needs to be monitored constantly, such
as monitoring patients during surgery or athletes during sporting activity. For
some patients with severe heart disease, wearing a bandage would allow them to
measure their heart's condition constantly. This could easily be done without
interfering with their daily life at all, since it simply requires wearing a
small bandage. Once it has been calibrated, the signals of the pulse can be
used as an alternative to intravascular catheters for measuring blood pressure.
Further, a number of these sensors on a prosthetic limb could be used as a kind
of electronic skin with an artificial sense of touch.
The research team’s next target
with this heart monitoring sensor is to fit the device with wireless
connection that would allow doctors to get continuous updates about a patient’s
heart via smartphone.
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