Japanese Researchers Invents Tech For Smart Diapers

Researchers from the University of Tokyo in Japan have come up with a disposable organic sensor that can be embedded in different materials for use in medical purposes. The sensor consists of a flexible integrated circuit printed on a thing plastic film that transmits information and receives its power wirelessly. The team lead by Professor Takayasu Sakurai and Takao Someya is looking to using the sensor…

 

Researchers from the University of Tokyo in Japan have come up with a disposable organic sensor that can be embedded in different materials for use in medical purposes.

The sensor consists of a flexible integrated circuit printed on a thing plastic film that transmits information and receives its power wirelessly. The team lead by Professor Takayasu Sakurai and Takao Someya is looking to using the sensor in diapers to help care givers check if a patient needs a diaper change without the need to remove clothing.

The sensor would be able to monitor wetness, pressure, temperature and other factors that are affected by electrical resistance. This will allow the sensor to have many applications including the monitoring of pulse and blood oxygen levels.

Moreover, the sensor’s thin and flexible construction allows it to be put directly on the skin unlike existing devices currently used in the medical industry. This characteristic should also reduce patient discomfort in contrast to the silicone-based materials used in most medical equipment.

According to Someya, the sensor should cost only a few cents to build but is still having issues with power efficiency. Once this is fixed, the technology should come to mainstream market shortly.

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