A Tattoo That Doubles As a Health Monitor?

Mom may have said never to get a tattoo, but even Mom might approve of this one. A study in the journal Science this week is reporting that University of Illinois researchers have found a way to create a sort of “electronic tattoo” that could change the way patient health is monitored, eliminating the need for bulky, costly and static monitoring machines and peripherals. And on a side not, it could be a brand new (though sort of science-fiction) method of interacting with computer gaming systems.

The device itself is thinner than a human hair – less than 50 micrometers thick – and could ultimately be used to monitor the heart and brain, reports BBC News. The sensor is attached to human skin in a similar manner to a temporary tattoo...once applied, it can move, wrinkle and stretch with the skin without breaking.

One of the goals of the new sensor is to replace existing monitors which are bulky and uncomfortable and need to be worn for weeks at a time, in the case of some heart patients, in order to try and capture evidence of occasional heart irregularities. Scientists say the inconvenience of bulky monitors is distressing to many patients, and it's hoped that the “tattoo monitors” will be so unobtrusive as to be barely noticed by patients.

To stay powered, the monitor would contain tiny solar cells capable of generating power, or they could draw energy from electromagnetic radiation.

In trials, the “tattoo monitor” was used to measure electrical activity in the leg, heart and brain, reported the BBC. Ultimately, researchers found that the measurements taken by the tiny monitors closely matched the results from more traditional methods of monitoring.

Researchers also believe the monitors could be used in neo-natal care – reducing the intrusiveness of the monitor on the body of a newborn or premature child – and in sleep studies to reduce the discomfort of bulkier monitors on patients undergoing sleep testing.

One of the researchers on the project, Professor Todd Coleman, said, “If we want to understand brain function in a natural environment, that's completely incompatible with studies in a laboratory. The best way to do this is to record neural signals in natural settings, with devices that are invisible to the user.”

While during the test, patients wore the device for about 24 hours without loss of function or skin irritation, researchers say there is still work to be done to adapt the monitor to longer use, since human skin is constantly making new cells and sloughing off the old ones.

So where does the gaming application come in?

Researchers found that when the device was applied to the throat, it could recognize simple words such as “up,” “down,” “left” and “stop.” It doesn't take a wild imagine to understand how such a device ultimately could be used as an interface to control video games.

Ultimately, there may even be more applications for the sensors.

“It's a technology that blurs the distinction between electronics and biology,” said Professor Zhenqiang Ma, an electrical and computer engineer at the University of Wisconsin.

And that's life beginning to imitate science-fiction.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.