1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio, 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff, Lauren vocal bomb here. But whether it's 3 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: a smart watch that tracks your heart rate or an 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 1: adhesive patch that continuously monitors your blood glucose level, wearable 5 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 1: technology is revolutionizing the way we access our own health information. 6 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: Welcome some of our health information anyway. For most people, 7 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: monitoring blood pressure still means winding a cuff around the arm, 8 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: whether in a healthcare setting or at home, and waiting 9 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: for the squeeze as it inflates and then deflates to 10 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 1: reveal a blood pressure reading. And even then the reading 11 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: is merely a moment in time and not a continual 12 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 1: monitoring of your blood pressure, which can and typically does 13 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: change frequently throughout the day. Now there's good news on 14 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: the horizon regarding the ability to continuously monitor blood pressure. 15 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Texas 16 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: and m University have developed a non invasive solution in 17 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: the form of a temporary electronic tattoo. The use of 18 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 1: the device was outlined in an article published in June 19 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: of two and the journal Nature Nanotechnology. It was developed 20 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,319 Speaker 1: with funding from the Office of Naval research the National 21 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Electronic tattoos 22 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: are a category of devices that are basically very thin, 23 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: flexible patches that can adhere to your skin, measure various 24 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: vital signs, and transmit the data to a phone or 25 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: other computer for collection and processing. Their lifespan varies, but 26 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: some can be worn for days or weeks at a time. 27 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: If current research trends are any indication, there's sure to 28 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: be a whole raft of tech tats in our future. 29 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: This new blood pressure monitoring electronic tattoo is made with graphine, 30 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: which is one of the strongest and thinnest materials in 31 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: the world. It's made up of carbon atoms, like a 32 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: lot of stuff, including graphite used in pencils, but graphings 33 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: nanostructure allows it to exist as an essentially two dimensional 34 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: sheet of atoms that can conduct electricity and is stronger 35 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: than steel, so when applied to the skin as part 36 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: of this device, it provides a waterproof way to measure 37 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: the skin's electrical currents and the body's response to changes 38 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: in blood volume. The prototypes of the electronic tattoo can 39 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: be worn for up to a week to provide continuous 40 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: blood pressure readings. The researchers hope that the technology will 41 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,519 Speaker 1: help us better understand how blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day, 42 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:41,239 Speaker 1: especially when we encounter stressors. The use of graphing has 43 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: proven instrumental and the temporary tattoo's ability to accurately gather 44 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,519 Speaker 1: blood pressure data. Unlike, for example, the electronic tattoos that 45 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: are already on the market that can monitor exposure to 46 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: UV radiation but are more like thick stickers, a graphing 47 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: is so thin that it can seriously decrease movement cause 48 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: data deterioration, meaning that as you and the electronic tattoo 49 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: moved throughout the day, it's readings will stay true to reality. 50 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: The raw data captured by this newly developed blood pressure 51 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: device is sent to a computer where it's interpreted by 52 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: an algorithm, then translated into the millimeters of mercury measurement 53 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,679 Speaker 1: that's typical for reading blood pressure. At this point in 54 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 1: the devices development, the data can't yet be transmitted and 55 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: read by applications on a smartphone or smart watch. The 56 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: participants who wore the electronic tattoos remained connected to a 57 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: circuit board that translated the data, so it's not quite 58 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: ready for purchase at your local pharmacy yet, but a 59 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: second generation is being developed that will undergo clinical trials 60 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: and may hit the market within the next five years. 61 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: It'll likely be designed for use with Bluetooth technology and 62 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: near field communication that will transfer data to whatever smartphone 63 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: or watch you use and also power the electronic tattoo. 64 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: The researchers are full that their devices could come in 65 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: handy not just for people at risk for hypertension, but 66 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: a wide range of people looking to keep an eye 67 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: on their physical and mental health, as blood pressure can 68 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 1: also be a measurement of stress. Today's episode is based 69 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: on the article how the graphine blood pressure tattoo will 70 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: change monitoring on how stuff works dot com, written by 71 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: laure L Dove. The brain Stuff is production of iHeart 72 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: Radio in partnership with how stuff works dot com, and 73 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 1: it is produced by Tyler Klang. For more podcasts from 74 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: my heart Radio because at the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 75 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.