Ultrasound Wearable Patch Can Alert About Cardiovascular Issues

Aug, 2021 - By SMI

The patch includes an ultrasound transducers 12×12 gauges and an individual needs to wear it on the chest or the neck.

The earlier a person is warned about an upcoming stroke or heart attack the better. By sending ultrasound pulses into the carrier’s bodies a new skin patch could provide those warnings. On the basis of device already developed, a patch was created by a team led by Professor Sheng Xu at the University of California San-Diego. Operated on the chest or neck, it includes a set of a fine sheet of expandable and flexible polymer that contains a 12×12 grid of ultrasonic transducers of millimetric size. This patch is presently hardwired to a computer and an energy source, but it is widely acknowledged to be self-contained and wireless.

All transducers can be set to convey ultrasonic wave pulses simultaneously in one operating mode. It creates an ultrasound beam that directly concentrates on a part of the body, which can reach under the skin up to 14cm. In an alternate mode, the transducers transfer their waves out of sync with the others, but quickly enough just to form a single cohesive beam. Interestingly, in this particular instance, this beam can be indicated in multiple angles, as contrasted to the patch. This suggests that multiple areas can be inspected without needing to put the patch on top of each one. The ultrasound beam makes its way through the human body and into a major blood vessel in either case.

The beam resonates the red blood cells through the vessel and back to the patch. By analyzing how the intensity of echo is influenced by the blood cell rate, the recipient’s blow flow, blood pressure and heart function can be monitored closely, all within the actual time. This details can then be used to evaluate whether or not cardiovascular problems are developing. The patch was tested to match traditional handheld ultrasound samples. These samples must be operated by expert employees in clinics, and the results may vary with each user’s skills. This is subsequently not the case with this patch.