
A photoacoustic sensor could help clinicians diagnose tumors, organ malfunctions and more.
Photo by Xiaoxiang Gao for the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego
A team of engineers at the University of California San Diego has developed an electronic patch that can monitor biomolecules in deep tissues, including hemoglobin. This gives medical professionals unprecedented access to crucial information that could help spot life-threatening conditions such as malignant tumors, organ dysfunction, cerebral or gut hemorrhages and more.
“The amount and location of hemoglobin in the body provide critical information about blood perfusion or accumulation in specific locations. Our device shows great potential in close monitoring of high-risk groups, enabling timely interventions at urgent moments,” said Sheng Xu, a professor of nanoengineering at UC San Diego and corresponding author of the study.
The paper, “A photoacoustic patch for three-dimensional imaging of hemoglobin and core temperature,” is published in the December 15, 2022 issue of Nature Communications.
Low blood perfusion inside the body may cause severe organ dysfunctions and is associated with a range of ailments, including heart attacks and vascular diseases of the extremities. At the same time, abnormal blood accumulation in areas such as in the brain, abdomen or cysts can indicate cerebral or visceral hemorrhage or malignant tumors. Continuous monitoring can aid diagnosis of these conditions and help facilitate timely and potentially life-saving interventions.
The new sensor overcomes some significant limitations in existing methods of monitoring biomolecules. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-ray-computed tomography rely on bulky equipment that can be hard to procure and usually only provide information on the immediate status of the molecule, which makes them unsuitable for long-term biomolecule monitoring.
“Continuous monitoring is critical for timely interventions to prevent life-threatening conditions from worsening quickly,” said Xiangjun Chen, a nanoengineering PhD student in the Xu group and study co-author. “Wearable devices based on electrochemistry for biomolecules detection, not limited to hemoglobin, are good candidates for long-term wearable monitoring applications. However, the existing technologies only achieve the ability of skin-surface detection.”
The new, flexible, low form-factor wearable patch comfortably attaches to the skin, allowing for noninvasive long-term monitoring. It can perform three-dimensional mapping of hemoglobin with a submillimeter spatial resolution in deep tissues, down to centimeters below the skin, versus other wearable electrochemical devices that only sense the biomolecules on the skin surface. It can achieve high contrast to other tissues. Due to its optical selectivity, it can expand the range of detectable molecules, integrating different laser diodes with different wavelengths, along with its potential clinical applications.
The patch is equipped with arrays of laser diodes and piezoelectric transducers in its soft silicone polymer matrix. Laser diodes emit pulsed lasers into the tissues. Biomolecules in the tissue absorb the optical energy, and radiate acoustic waves into surrounding media.
“Piezoelectric transducers receive the acoustic waves, which are processed in an electrical system to reconstruct the spatial mapping of the wave-emitting biomolecules”, said Xiaoxiang Gao, a postdoctoral researcher in Xu’s lab and co-author of the study.
“With its low-power laser pulses, it is also much safer than X-ray techniques that have ionizing radiation”, said Hongjie Hu, a postdoctoral researcher in the Xu group and study coauthor.
Based on its success so far, the team plans to further develop the device, including shrinking the backend controlling system to a portable-sized device for laser diode driving and data acquisition, greatly expanding its flexibility and potential clinical utility.
They also plan to explore the wearable’s potential for core temperature monitoring. “Because the photoacoustic signal amplitude is proportional to the temperature, we have demonstrated core temperature monitoring on ex-vivo experiments,” Xu said. “However, validating the core temperature monitoring on the human body requires interventional calibration.”
They are continuing to work with physicians to pursue more potential clinical applications.
Original Article: Wearable Skin Patch Monitors Hemoglobin in Deep Tissues
More from: University of California San Diego
The Latest Updates from Bing News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Wearable photoacoustic sensor
- Samsung skin sensor can detect calorie intake
Samsung is working on a wearable skin sensor that can estimate your calorie intake – according to an updated payment. The Galaxy Watch-maker appears to be edging closer to perfecting skin sensors that ...
- Pencil-on-Paper Wearable Sensor
Researchers at Penn State have developed a low-cost, wearable sensor using pencil-on-paper technology. This approach involves depositing graphite (pencil ‘lead’) on paper that has been treated ...
- Wearable Health Sensors Market Forecast: Future Outlook And Industry Projections 2032
(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) LOS ANGELES, May 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global wearable health sensors market Size accounted for USD 2.9 Billion in 2022 and is estimated to achieve a ...
- Wearable Health Sensors Market Forecast: Future Outlook and Industry Projections 2032
LOS ANGELES, May 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Wearable Health Sensors Market Size accounted for USD 2.9 Billion in 2022 and is estimated to achieve a market size of USD 14.1 Billion by ...
- Wearable Health Sensors Market Forecast: Future Outlook and Industry Projections 2032
LOS ANGELES, May 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Wearable Health Sensors Market Size accounted for USD 2.9 Billion in 2022 and is estimated to achieve a market size of USD 14.1 Billion by ...
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Biomolecule monitoring
- ELISA Tests: Beyond Just Antibody Detection
By using ELISA to measure viral load over time in HIV-positive patients, healthcare providers can monitor disease progression and treatment effectiveness. ELISA can also detect and estimate the levels ...
- Monitor Not VESA-Compliant? It Is Now!
Some monitors lack the holes on the back that make them VESA-compliant, so mounting them on a monitor arm can be a non-starter. To handle this, [Patrick Hallek] designed and 3D printed these ...
- A Complete Raspberry Pi Power Monitoring System
As the world has become more environmentally conscious, we’ve seen an uptick in projects that monitor or control home energy use. At a minimum one of these setups involves a microcontroller and ...
- Best smartwatches for heart health monitoring
Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. Don't just keep track of your workouts this summer, monitor your heart's health too. Smartwatches can be incredible tools for monitoring ...
- The best credit monitoring services that can help you spot fraud early
The cost of the services mentioned below are up-to-date at the time of publication. Credit monitoring services can provide you with early notice of potential fraud on your credit report ...