WEBVTT - How Could Temporary Tattoos Revolutionize Blood Pressure Monitoring?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio,

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<v Speaker 1>Hey brain Stuff, Lauren vocal bomb here. But whether it's

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<v Speaker 1>a smart watch that tracks your heart rate or an

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<v Speaker 1>adhesive patch that continuously monitors your blood glucose level, wearable

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<v Speaker 1>technology is revolutionizing the way we access our own health information.

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome some of our health information anyway. For most people,

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<v Speaker 1>monitoring blood pressure still means winding a cuff around the arm,

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<v Speaker 1>whether in a healthcare setting or at home, and waiting

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<v Speaker 1>for the squeeze as it inflates and then deflates to

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<v Speaker 1>reveal a blood pressure reading. And even then the reading

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<v Speaker 1>is merely a moment in time and not a continual

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<v Speaker 1>monitoring of your blood pressure, which can and typically does

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<v Speaker 1>change frequently throughout the day. Now there's good news on

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<v Speaker 1>the horizon regarding the ability to continuously monitor blood pressure.

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<v Speaker 1>Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Texas

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<v Speaker 1>and m University have developed a non invasive solution in

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<v Speaker 1>the form of a temporary electronic tattoo. The use of

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<v Speaker 1>the device was outlined in an article published in June

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<v Speaker 1>of two and the journal Nature Nanotechnology. It was developed

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<v Speaker 1>with funding from the Office of Naval research the National

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<v Speaker 1>Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Electronic tattoos

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<v Speaker 1>are a category of devices that are basically very thin,

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<v Speaker 1>flexible patches that can adhere to your skin, measure various

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<v Speaker 1>vital signs, and transmit the data to a phone or

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<v Speaker 1>other computer for collection and processing. Their lifespan varies, but

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<v Speaker 1>some can be worn for days or weeks at a time.

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<v Speaker 1>If current research trends are any indication, there's sure to

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<v Speaker 1>be a whole raft of tech tats in our future.

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<v Speaker 1>This new blood pressure monitoring electronic tattoo is made with graphine,

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<v Speaker 1>which is one of the strongest and thinnest materials in

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<v Speaker 1>the world. It's made up of carbon atoms, like a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of stuff, including graphite used in pencils, but graphings

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<v Speaker 1>nanostructure allows it to exist as an essentially two dimensional

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<v Speaker 1>sheet of atoms that can conduct electricity and is stronger

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<v Speaker 1>than steel, so when applied to the skin as part

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<v Speaker 1>of this device, it provides a waterproof way to measure

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<v Speaker 1>the skin's electrical currents and the body's response to changes

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<v Speaker 1>in blood volume. The prototypes of the electronic tattoo can

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<v Speaker 1>be worn for up to a week to provide continuous

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<v Speaker 1>blood pressure readings. The researchers hope that the technology will

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<v Speaker 1>help us better understand how blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day,

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<v Speaker 1>especially when we encounter stressors. The use of graphing has

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<v Speaker 1>proven instrumental and the temporary tattoo's ability to accurately gather

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<v Speaker 1>blood pressure data. Unlike, for example, the electronic tattoos that

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<v Speaker 1>are already on the market that can monitor exposure to

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<v Speaker 1>UV radiation but are more like thick stickers, a graphing

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<v Speaker 1>is so thin that it can seriously decrease movement cause

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<v Speaker 1>data deterioration, meaning that as you and the electronic tattoo

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<v Speaker 1>moved throughout the day, it's readings will stay true to reality.

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<v Speaker 1>The raw data captured by this newly developed blood pressure

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<v Speaker 1>device is sent to a computer where it's interpreted by

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<v Speaker 1>an algorithm, then translated into the millimeters of mercury measurement

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<v Speaker 1>that's typical for reading blood pressure. At this point in

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<v Speaker 1>the devices development, the data can't yet be transmitted and

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<v Speaker 1>read by applications on a smartphone or smart watch. The

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<v Speaker 1>participants who wore the electronic tattoos remained connected to a

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<v Speaker 1>circuit board that translated the data, so it's not quite

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<v Speaker 1>ready for purchase at your local pharmacy yet, but a

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<v Speaker 1>second generation is being developed that will undergo clinical trials

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<v Speaker 1>and may hit the market within the next five years.

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<v Speaker 1>It'll likely be designed for use with Bluetooth technology and

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<v Speaker 1>near field communication that will transfer data to whatever smartphone

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<v Speaker 1>or watch you use and also power the electronic tattoo.

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<v Speaker 1>The researchers are full that their devices could come in

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<v Speaker 1>handy not just for people at risk for hypertension, but

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<v Speaker 1>a wide range of people looking to keep an eye

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<v Speaker 1>on their physical and mental health, as blood pressure can

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<v Speaker 1>also be a measurement of stress. Today's episode is based

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<v Speaker 1>on the article how the graphine blood pressure tattoo will

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<v Speaker 1>change monitoring on how stuff works dot com, written by

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<v Speaker 1>laure L Dove. The brain Stuff is production of iHeart

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<v Speaker 1>Radio in partnership with how stuff works dot com, and

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<v Speaker 1>it is produced by Tyler Klang. For more podcasts from

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