New 'magical suit' can tell health status of a person

Chinese scientists claim to have developed a 'magical suit' fitted with large-area textile sensors which can detect temperature, pH levels, pressure and other indicators that show the health status of a person.

By wireless transmission, those signals can be sent to a cellphone, a computer, or even to a doctor thousand miles away, so a person's health can be monitored anytime and anywhere, according to Wang Zhonglin, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The suit was showcased at the third International Conference on Nanoenergy and Nanosystems in Beijing.

The conference, organised by the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, touched on topics such as nanogenerators, self-powered sensors and systems, piezotronics, piezophototronics, energy storage and self- charging power systems, Xinhua news agency reported.

Scientists also unveiled "nano tattoos" and a self- charging cardiac pacemaker, which does not need recharging or replacement.

The "nano tattoos" are stickers which can be worn on the arm to administer drugs into a patient's veins, providing a painless way of injection for diabetics, said Wang.

Scientists have made prototypes of all the gadgets at the institute's technopark. They are expected to hit the market in two to three years, Wang said.