Patch tracks multiple biochemicals

In a first of its kind monitoring device, University of California at San Diego engineers have made a skin patch for tracking blood pressure and blood chemicals.  “Packed inside is a blood pressure sensor, a chemical sensor that measures lactate, caffeine and alcohol in sweat, and a sensor that tracks glucose levels in the interstitial fluid. The patch is hooked up to an external power source and gives its reading via a counter-top machine.  Located near the center of the patch, the blood pressure sensor works by sending ultrasound waves through the body that bounce off arteries and create echoes, which the sensor detects and converts into a blood pressure reading. The chemical sensor works by releasing drugs into the skin that induce sweat then measuring the chemicals within that fluid, while the glucose sensor emits a mild electrical current to stimulate the release of interstitial fluid for the same purpose.”   MORE

Image Credit:  NewAtlas.com and UCSD