New e-tattoo for accurate, uninterrupted heart monitoring

Engineers at The University of Texas have devised a new technology that could make heart monitoring easier and accurate than existing electrocardiograph, claims a recent study.

Led by Nanshu Lu, the new graphene-based wearable device can be placed on the skin to measure a variety of body responses, from electrical to biomechanical signals.

The research was published in the journal 'Advanced Science'.

The device is so lightweight and stretchable that it can be placed over the heart for extended periods with little or no discomfort. It also measures cardiac health in two ways, taking electrocardiograph and seismocardiography readings simultaneously.

Most of us are familiar with the electrocardiogram (ECG), a method that records the rates of electrical activity produced each time the heart beats. Seismocardiography (SCG) is a measurement technique using chest vibrations associated with heartbeats. Powered remotely by a smartphone, the e-tattoo is the first ultrathin and stretchable technology to measure both ECG and SCG.

"We can get much greater insight into heart health by the synchronous collection of data from both sources," said Lu, an associate professor in the departments of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering.

ECG readings alone are not accurate enough for determining heart health, but they provide additional information when combined with SCG signal recordings. Like a form of quality control, the SCG indicates the accuracy of the ECG readings.

Although soft e-tattoos for ECG sensing are not new, other sensors, such as the SCG sensor, are still made from nonstretchable materials, making them bulky and uncomfortable to wear. Lu and her team's e-tattoo is made of a piezoelectric polymer called polyvinylidene fluoride, capable of generating its own electric charge in response to mechanical stress. The device also includes 3D digital image correlation technology that is used to map chest vibrations in order to identify the best location on the chest to place the e-tattoo.

The e-tattoo has another advantage over traditional methods. Usually, an ECG measurement requires going into a doctor's office, where heart health can be monitored only for a couple of minutes at a time. This device can be worn for days, providing constant heart monitoring.