A groundbreaking wearable ultrasound patch is poised to revolutionize healthcare by monitoring blood flow in hospital patients’ brains. Developed by scientists at the University of California San Diego, this postage stamp-sized device offers continuous monitoring capabilities unlike traditional methods.
Traditionally, technicians would manually check cerebral blood flow by holding an ultrasound probe against a patient’s head. However, this approach is subject to variations in accuracy based on the technician’s skill level and only provides intermittent readings throughout the day. The new UC San Diego patch aims to address these limitations.
The stretchable and flexible silicone patch remains attached to a patient’s temple during their hospital stay, continuously monitoring and recording blood flow in the brain. With multiple layers of stretchable electronics, including copper electrodes and piezoelectric transducers, the patch generates ultrasound waves that are reflected back by the major arteries in the brain. An ultrafast ultrasound imaging system and computer analyze these echoes to produce a real-time 3D digital model of the arteries, capturing important data on blood flow velocity and volume.
In lab tests, the patch demonstrated accuracy comparable to traditional ultrasound probes in measuring key blood flow metrics. Clinical trials on patients with neurological conditions are now in the works, along with the development of a wireless version of the patch by spinoff company Softsonics.
This groundbreaking research, led by Prof. Sheng Xu, was recently published in the prestigious journal Nature. The wearable ultrasound patch holds tremendous promise for enhancing patient care and potentially saving lives in the future.
