American researchers have created an adhesive patch capable of reproducing ultrasound images. A device that can provide continuous ultrasound imaging for 48 hours.
- The adhesive patch measures approximately 2 cm² per side and 3 millimeters thick, the surface of a postage stamp.
- The ultrasound stickers recorded the changes in the organs of adults when they sat, stood, or jogged and cycled.
We know: having an ultrasound is not a cakewalk. And for good reason, these cumbersome examinations, which are difficult to perform, must be carried out in a clinic or hospital. But a breakthrough could change things. Indeed, it could be that ultrasounds will soon be done at home.
A tampon-sized patch
According a study of the’Massachusetts Institute of Technology, engineers are currently developing an adhesive patch that would reproduce images of the human body in depth, like a usual ultrasound. The device, as big as a tampon, is placed on the skin thanks to a more extensible gel than that used by the medical profession to visualize images of fetuses or organs for 48 hours. As part of the work, the engineers observed the hearts, lungs and stomachs of volunteers.
A product sold at the pharmacy?
If this device is created to work wirelessly, the ultrasound stickers could be turned into portable imaging products that patients could take home from a doctor’s office. In addition, the sale in pharmacies is a reliable option.
“We envision a few patches stuck to different places on the body, and the patches would communicate with your cell phone, where AI (artificial intelligence) algorithms would analyze the images on demand,” explained Xuanche Zhao, professor of mechanical and environmental engineering at MIT.
If the process has just begun, scientists aim to obtain more functional images than those developed recently.
