Researchers create self-healing health wearable powered by body heat

Wearable sensors can track vital signs and never needs charging
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Serious health wearables are going to be a big deal. Not just because Apple, Fitbit, Samsung and others are in this space, but because some of the biggest innovation is happening in this space right now.

The latest to throw their hat into the ring are researchers from the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, who have built a system of wearable monitors with sensors that can detect vital signs as early markers for disease.

Essential reading: Best Apple Health compatible apps and devices

While this is not the first time we've heard about a wearables that can monitor your vitals, this setup is a bit more unique for the simple fact that it's powered by body heat and from energy produced when the wearer moves. But that's not all. The system can even repair itself if it becomes torn or scratched, so would potentially be a cost effective setup for hospitals and would also make it a valuable and non-invasive monitoring tool for long-term health studies.

Normal health is characterized by known markers such as 60 to 100 heart beats per minute and 7 to 8 breaths per minute," said Prof. Haick. "If we detect dramatic changes in the various markers in real time, we can refer the patient to a more comprehensive diagnosis and prevent disease from developing or worsening."

The wearable system was presented in a paper entitled Advanced Materials by Technicon Professor Hossam Haick and postdoctoral researcher Weiwei Wu who devised the setup. Haick has already experimented with the advanced self-healing material for a flexible sensor that would similarly be used for this wearable and is made up of a self-healing substrate, high-conductivity electrodes and molecularly modified gold nanoparticles.

The question ultimately, though, is when we can actually see this tech being put to use. While the components to build the system already exist, the platform that pulls everything together still needs to be built. Haick's research group are currently in the process of developing that platform that would bring this potentially lifesaving wearable system to life.

Source: Israel 21 C

Researchers create self-healing health wearable powered by body heat




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Michael Sawh

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Michael Sawh has been covering the wearable tech industry since the very first Fitbit landed back in 2011. Previously the resident wearable tech expert at Trusted Reviews, he also marshaled the features section of T3.com.

He also regularly contributed to T3 magazine when they needed someone to talk about fitness trackers, running watches, headphones, tablets, and phones.

Michael writes for GQ, Wired, Coach Mag, Metro, MSN, BBC Focus, Stuff, TechRadar and has made several appearances on the BBC Travel Show to talk all things tech. 

Michael is a lover of all things sports and fitness-tech related, clocking up over 15 marathons and has put in serious hours in the pool all in the name of testing every fitness wearable going. Expect to see him with a minimum of two wearables at any given time.


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