The Website of Ryan Pourcillie

This is an article that speaks to the kid somewhere inside us all. Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a new use for a novel technology I was always excited about as a kid. They have taken polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sheets, commonly used as temporary tattoos for children, and embedded electronics in them to create what they are calling “Epidermal Electronic Systems” (EES). These systems have been used for a variety of things including electrocardiography (ECG), electroencephalography (EEG), and electromyography (EMG) readings. The technology offers results comparable to more traditional systems, but has the distinct advantage that they can be worn for up to 24 hours, 6 of which are recorded, and be almost unnoticeable in the way their mechanical properties mimic the human skin. Check out the article for more information.

I know I for one am excited about the possibility that all of my future temporary tattoos may do more than just look cool.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=skin-electronic-patch

The title of this post says a lot about this article, but it’s definitely an interesting read. Biomedical Engineers in Switzerland have developed an optical fiber with an acid sensitive coating that they are able to use in monitoring wound healing. The fiber changes color in relation to the acid level in the wound and also carries light to the wound and then back to a device that enables them to monitor what is under the bandage in real-time. The technology is now being calibrated and prepared for animal testing in the future.

The possibilities these bandages offer are great; if BME’s can engineer bandages sensitive to specific enzymes or even germs and viruses physicians can get an idea of what’s actually occurring under the wound dressing sooner and without removing it.

http://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical/diagnostics/optical-fiber-watches-wounds