Scientists have introduced a breakthrough technology that is needed by millions of people around the world. They have developed an electronic graphene tattoo that independently assesses a person’s blood pressure in any situation. The authors claim that the convenience and accuracy of tattoos surpass existing popular solutions integrated, for example, into a smartwatch.
Cuff blood pressure monitors remain the standard measure of blood pressure, but most people use them when they feel unwell. Continuous monitoring is critical for maintaining good health, especially against the background of stable statistics – cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide.
To solve this problem, a team of researchers from the United States has developed an electronic tattoo that allows you to measure blood pressure in any situation without human intervention: during severe stress, sleep, sports, etc., writes Phys.org.
Their technology has become a much more accurate and convenient alternative to smart gadgets such as watches or bracelets. In them, metal sensors use readings based on LED light sources that penetrate the skin. First, this method may not be universal for people with different skin colors. Second, the sensors can “hang” on the wrist and be far from the arteries, making it difficult to obtain accurate data.
The electronic tattoo is comfortable to wear on the wrist – the graphene sensor is weightless and invisible. The device makes measurements by sending an electric current through the skin, and then analyzes the body’s response, known as bioimpedance. There is a correlation between bioimpedance and blood pressure levels associated with changes in blood volume, explain the authors, who developed an artificial intelligence algorithm to analyze this relationship.
“The accuracy of measuring blood pressure with a tattoo exceeds almost all available options on the market today,” – said the scientists.
They plan that the technology will provide solutions for healthy people who want to monitor key indicators of the cardiovascular system, as well as for patients at risk or hypertension. The timing of the technology’s availability for mass use has not yet been announced.
Furthermore, previously, tattoo technology was used by scientists from Germany. They used dyes that change color depending on the level of certain biomarkers in the blood of three dangerous groups of diseases.
