Flexible Bionic Sensors

A number of research projects are currently underway to develop electronics that conform to the shape of the human body and perform a variety of functions.

For example, a graphene-based sensor printed on biodegradable silk is designed to be placed on a tooth to alert the wearer of dangerous bacteria in their saliva. In one test, it successfully identified a single E. coli microbe, and was able to pick out H. pylori (the culprit responsible for stomach ulcers) in human saliva.

Another device, which uses silicon ribbons on a rubbery substrate, can detect changes in temperature, pressure or strain and could someday be used to track a person’s health status.

Finally, a new technology known as a “heart sock” may eventually replace today’s defibrillators by using painless, low-energy pulses to quiet abnormal cardiac conditions, such as atrial fibrillation.