Vital Check: Put on the Patch
- Posted on August 11, 2011 at 6:45pm by
Liz Klimas
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WASHINGTON (AP) — One day monitoring a patient’s vital signs like temperature and heart rate could be a simple as sticking on a tiny, wireless patch, sort of like a temporary tattoo.
Eliminating the bulky wiring and electrodes used in current monitors would make the devices more comfortable for patients, says an international team of researchers who report their findings in Friday’s edition of the journal Science.
“What we are trying to do here is to really reshape and redefine electronics … to look a lot more like the human body, in this case the surface layers of the skin,” said John A. Rogers of the University of Illinois. “The goal is really to blur the distinction between electronics and biological tissue.”
The researchers embedded electronic sensors in a film thinner than the diameter of a human hair, which was placed on a polyester backing like those used for the temporary tattoos popular with kids. The result was a sensor that was flexible enough to move with the skin and would adhere without adhesives.
The researchers said the devices had remained in place for up to 24 hours. Rogers said in an briefing that, while normal shedding of skin cells would eventually cause the monitors to come off, he thought they could remain in place as long as two weeks.
In addition to monitoring patients in hospitals, other uses for the devices could include monitoring brain waves, muscle movement, sensing the larynx for speech, emitting heat to help heal wounds and perhaps even being made touch sensitive and placed on artificial limbs, Rogers said.
The device will help fill the need for equipment that is more convenient and less stressful for patients, permitting easier and more reliable monitoring, said Zhenqiang Ma, an engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin, who was not part of the research team. The electronic skin can simply be stuck on or peeled off like an adhesive bandage, he noted in a commentary on the report.
Rogers is a founder of the company MC10, based in Cambridge, Mass., which is working to develop commercial uses of the devices, but he declined to speculate on how soon the electronic skin would be ready for market or what it would cost.
The monitor looks rather like a bandage and contains an antenna that could be used to transmit data, though a radio to do that transmitting has not yet been tested, Rogers said.
The current design has a small coil and could be powered by induction — by placing it near an electrical coil — Rogers said. That would permit intermittent use, he said, and for longer-term monitoring a tiny battery or storage capacitor could be used.
The monitor doesn’t use an adhesive, relying on a weak force called the van der Waals force that causes molecules and surfaces to stick together without interfering with motion. The ability of geckos to climb smooth surfaces has been attributed to the van der Waals force. For longer-term use the electronic skin could be coated with an adhesive.
Rogers and co-lead author Dae-Hyuong Kim, have been working on the technology for several years. They earlier worked together to develop flexible electronics for hemispherical camera sensors and other devices that have complex shapes.
Funding for the research came from the Air Force Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois, and a Defense Department National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellowship.
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Comments (43)
11:11
Posted on August 13, 2011 at 5:06pmthe concept is very creative looking at it from a technicalogical point of view unfortunately not all good ideas are used for good… and by the way thanks Glenn for the free docu of rumors of war 2 ! i read scripture alot and it really connects alot of dots!
Report Post »iamthelucid1
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 5:39pmI hope technology will hurry up and build a time machine so I can go to 1800.
Report Post »doncorleone
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 5:13pmThe “mark of the beast” has been your cellphone for years. Now, it’s the “smart phone”. All of the apps. to bank, purchase, sell, social media, all of your trends, from political to religious, and all of your/our own volition.
Report Post »captaincanuck
Posted on August 13, 2011 at 7:14amPlease explain to me, how we are going to attack our smart phone to our forehead or wrist, and if I lose my smartphone, explain to me, how that will affect my ability to purchase, sell or trade anything please.
Report Post »captaincanuck
Posted on August 13, 2011 at 7:19amattach*
Report Post »Sines314
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 5:09pmPeople have been predicting the end times since the time of Jesus. What part of none know the time of the end but the Father (forgive me not knowing the exact passage) do you not understand?
At any rate, looks like a pretty nice piece of tech. The marvels of science. We may not be getting our flying cars, but information is our bitch! It is so cool living in the information age. For one thing, I’d never hear about this story if I had to look it up in some academic journal.
Report Post »mta3000
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 4:24pmThis caught my eye when I saw “Univ. of Illinois” in the story – they’re really pushing this stuff. For example, here’s an university-furnished abstract from a Sep 2009 U of I lecture called “Our Biometric Future: The Pursuit of Automated Facial Recognition” given by Kelly Gates, Asst. Prof. of Communication and Science Studies at University of California, San Diego as part of their “Information in Society” speaker series:
“This talk examines the rising demand for biometric identification technologies during the period of political-economic neoliberalization in the United States since the 1970s. She argues that the turn to biometric identification is a response to a conflicting set of demands to individualize and to classify, to include and to exclude, to protect and to punish, to monitor and define parameters, and to otherwise govern populations in the face of their radical destabilization under the wrenching neoliberal reforms instituted in the U.S. and across the globe during the latter part of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.”
Report Post »margaret1977
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 3:10pmPlease read NEW WORLD ORDER CHECK LIST ! It all in there how they are going to do it and why!
http://www.thelambslain.com/
Report Post »Kitzie1963
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 7:55pmYou have done a bang-up job on listing all that information. I’m impressed. Keep sounding the alarm!
Report Post »11:11
Posted on August 13, 2011 at 5:00pmjust tried to get that page and it said page not found….that’s a bummer :<
Report Post »JEANNIEMAC
Posted on August 23, 2011 at 12:27pmI found the page that 11:11 said he could not find. It is there. Check it out.
Report Post »mecanic
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 12:56pmGOD help us. wake before it’s to late.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 12:23pmMark of the beast!
Report Post »ProbIemSoIver
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 9:43pmWe have all been a Number to the government since Social Security came out. We used to be recognized as people, before the progressives started their assault on America and freedom.
Report Post »jacks
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 12:11pmOne small step for Borg, one giant leap for Gov control.
Report Post »gruder007
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 10:44amdidn’t they have this in the movie “Demolition Man”?
Report Post »mrsclark
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 10:41amI wish people would get off the mark of the beast crap. First of all, the Antichrist has to be in power at the time, and we have to be aware of it. Secondly, God makes it clear that we will CLEARLY know that we are making a choice between taking the mark of the beast or choosing everlasting life in Christ. This is NOT IT!! When it is time, believe me, you will not wonder!
Report Post »VISITORNUMBER3
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 1:00pmI kind of agree with you…I think it will be a clear choice to take the mark or not, and the way I read it, if you’re a Christian now, you won’t be here to worry about it anyway. However, i do think all this stuff is stepping stones leading in that direction.
Report Post »scarebear83
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 4:27pmI agree that I wish people would be more educated about the mark of the beast. However the mark of the beast has already come and gone. First you have to understand what the book of Revelation is primarily about, it is not about a prophecy for us in the here and now it was a prophecy for those under the Roman empire. The mark of the beast was attained if someone gave mental assent (forehead) or extended their right hand in fellowship (hand) towards the beast (government). Thus those who did not do so were not able to buy or sell. Try to read up on history of Rome dating about that time period on to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the flight to Pella
Read Matthew 24 and note that Jesus is talking to the disciples. So everytime He says the word “you” say to yourself “you disciples” then things will make a lot more sense. For instance, Matt. 24:6 And you (disciples) will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you (disciples) are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 15 “Therefore when you (disciples) see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” -Jesus always chose His words carefully thus if it were a far off future event He would have used the words “them” and “they” more than the word “you” indicating that He was talking directly to those who were there.
Report Post »Kitzie1963
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 7:57pmHow do you know that Obama is NOT the anti-Christ? I know, he has to be shot and rise from the dead and all that, but there are a lot of gullible Christians out there!
Report Post »scarebear83
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 10:51pm@Kitzie1963 There is not just one anti-christ but anyone who denies Christ is an anti-christ.
Report Post »Via Dolorosa
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 10:20amIt could be one more “device” that satan is using to get our minds
used to the idea of having a “mark” on our hand/forehead –
so that when the real “mark” comes along, we will have already
been conditioned for it.
Just a thought.
Report Post »nysparkie
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 9:00amIf it helps me to live to 125, I’m all for it. Otherwise, shove it up their A s s.
Report Post »PingPongPing
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 6:30amits just a monitoring device. No personal information will be coded into the hardware.
I would buy stocks from the manufacturer, this looks promising.
Report Post »Mannax
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 6:44amYet.
Report Post »4truth2all
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 9:30amYo Ping:
Report Post »Would you rather be a rich man headed to hell, or a poor man headed to heaven. The fruit looked good in the garden too!
holy ghostbuster
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 6:29amThe concept is to monitor your vital signs when you are in the hospital. You peel it off before you leave. No one is suggesting planting a microchip under your skin or in your barins so that the government can monitor your farts. Get real people! This is called ingenuity. If it wasn’t for crazy religions holding back science, we would probably have eliminated cancer by now.
Report Post »PingPongPing
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 6:31amOmg! The govt can monitor our farts now? R u serious??
Report Post »jhrusky
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 8:05amPerhaps THIS concept is not about implanting a microchip in humans, but that is being worked on/tested and it is coming. This or the next generation will most likely see the elmination of paper money and implementation of an implanted microchip to buy and sell. Research Digital Angel.
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 6:14am1984 anybody?
Report Post »sidewayssquare
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 3:29ami highly doubt this patch is the mark, though it might get people used to the concept of being scanned, you will see this at concerts and amusement parks when they can make it cheap enough.
though on the topic of the mark and current times, i read between the lines, with all the debt issues and worthless cash on a global scale i suspect we will see a mass default and a transistion to a global currancy, its easy to assume that it will be digital, every thing is digital, this will likely be done by a credit card or dumbphone.
but you know what folks? that still dosent adress the issue of IDENITY THEFT!
the easy solution would be cash, but that isnt happening
this is what society will propose as the solution to idenity theft, RFID tatoo ink…..
Report Post »ilyssakryston
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 2:10am‘Kinda looks like a combination of smart media and an RFID tag. I’m sure some would make the claim that this is the Biblical mark of the beast.’
obviously it’s not the mark because no one would be forced to put this on but, turning technology into something that is integrated into our bodies… kinda sounds like something that could end up in the wrong hands.
Report Post »allenovercomer
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 2:47amthe mark of the beast is not forced it is taken voluntarily, it is your distinction, you may be tricked into believing that it, is your salvation however you will still be the one who accepts it. “ in those days even the elect shall be decived ” ,“for the elect sake those days shall be shortened ”, “he makes war against the saints and over comes them” ,“he who overcomes to the end shall like wise be saved”.
Report Post »In all this cryptic yet clear speech “seek ye own salvation” , ” For God so loved the world he gave his only begoten son, so that believe in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16 .
sissykatz
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 1:53amI think this is pretty incredible.It would be a lot more convenient while in the hospital.Lot lest trouble
Report Post »for the nurses also. I am still amazed at what is becoming available;
cosmic dogma
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 1:47amHow about a toilet seat that weighs you and checks your urine for proteins or sugars, and antibodies? How about a zapper in your car seat that zings you when you head for McDonalds? How about a little personal nag device that tells you to exercise and diet…oh wait, we already have Michelle for that.
Report Post »Reverend_Child
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 1:34amWell, if we’re just determined as a people to get all cybernetic, then I want those telescoping arms and legs like Inspector Gadget has.
Report Post »And Wolverine claws, of course.
And a finger that can heat up like a cigarette lighter, ‘coz I’m always losing my lighter…
freedom_gurl35
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 1:20amInteresting how much of the funding for this thing has come from the federal government…..
Report Post »whispers76
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 6:21amI would be interested to know as well. Although, this seems like it may be too legitimate of a technology for the current government to be interested in.
Report Post »Tony Cat
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 1:16amOne step closer to chips in our skin. Before you know it, we’ve got Cyberdyne, and Arnold’s gonna be blowing up LA. Just be sure to put it in your left hand ;)
Report Post »Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 1:14amKinda looks like a combination of smart media and an RFID tag. I’m sure some would make the claim that this is the Biblical mark of the beast.
Some group has a prize for the engineering org that can successfully demonstrate a medical monitoring device that substantively duplicates the uses and operation shown for the fictional Star Trek medical tricorder. I think that is a superior concept to this temporary medical monitoring tattoo, as you would know every time you were looking at a vital sign reading, you wouldn’t have to second guess whether the tattoo had become damaged in the interval since the last reading and might be giving faulty data.
Report Post »midnightvelvet
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 1:14amCreepy….like the number of the beast.
Report Post »Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
Posted on August 12, 2011 at 9:32amI hate being right.
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