Anyone who has been exposed to ultrasound is familiar with applying a thick cold gel to the skin, the ultrasonic waves need to be transmitted clearly from the sensor to the internal organs and back. Over time, this gel can dry out or bleed the skin, so long-term ultrasound procedures require constant reapplication.
One of the biggest innovations in this MIT development is the creation of a hydrogel encapsulated in a thin elastomer membrane. This creates an ideal stretchable, elastic material that can adhere to the skin and still transmit ultrasonic waves effectively.
The other part of the device contains a rigid array of hundreds of tiny ultrasonic transducers. According to co-author Chongye Wang, combining a dense array of sensors with an elastic elastomer and hydrogel hybrid allows the sticker to take consistent images of internal organs over long periods of time.
Using the device, the researchers were able to observe how the stomach expands and then contracts when a volunteer drinks a glass of juice. Other tests have shown how the device can monitor muscles as a person lifts weights, potentially telling the user when they should stop exercising before they get injured.
The team is currently working on making the device wireless so it can hypothetically interact with a smartphone app.
Source: Ferra
