+44 (0)24 7671 8970
More publications     •     Advertise with us     •     Contact us
 
News Article

Imec and TNO Launch Health Patch with Long Battery Life

News

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2019), taking place in Las Vegas, imec and TNO are presenting the latest version of their health patch. Developed in the framework of the Holst Centre in Eindhoven, the new health patch offers unprecedented comfort and a long battery life, previously unseen in this type of device. It can also be manufactured at a fraction of the cost of previous generations, making it a user-friendly, disposable solution for ambulant patient monitoring.

“A crucial technology improvement in this new generation health patch is the integration of a wide range of sensing capabilities into imec’s MUSEIC V3 system-on-chip solution. As a result, the device is almost an order of magnitude cheaper, while the high degree of integration makes it much more energy-efficient. The significant cost reduction means that the patch can now be used as a disposable solution, an important benefit for medical treatment,” says Bernard Grundlehner, System Architect – Connected Health Solutions at imec the Netherlands.

The patch uses a mix of skin friendly and biocompatible materials. The base substrate is a very thin, flexible and elastic TPU material. Most of the electronic functionality is realized using printed electronics technologies and integrated dry electrodes provide a stable and high-quality electrical connection to the body. A comfortable silicone adhesive is used to provide long-term adhesion at high comfort.

“Completely watertight, the new health patch is built for maximum user comfort and can be worn for up to seven days before needing to be replaced”, explains Prof. Jeroen van den Brand, program director printed electronics, TNO.

To limit the ecological footprint of the single-use patch, imec researchers have collaborated with Maxell Ltd. to develop an environmentally friendly battery which does not contain any toxic substances. Additionally, the MUSEIC V3 also improves the overall energy-efficiency because of its low-power signal acquisition. While competing solutions generally advertise a battery life of 3-4 days, imec’s solution has a battery life of over 7 days, in many cases even longer, depending on the specific configurations

For patients, a single, disposable patch that can be worn for several days is more convenient and can reduce hospital visits as it no longer needs to be returned after use. This is particularly important for chronically ill patients as it provides an affordable, single-use device that can be easily used to monitor their vital signs and physical activity at home. Easy to apply and comfortable to wear for long periods of time, it enables patients to perform their normal daily activities with minimal impact while providing valuable information to optimize their treatment and medication. The single-use concept can also reduce time spent in the hospital as it allows patients to be sent home earlier while still remotely monitoring their vital signs.

Even more versatile than its predecessors, the new patch now also measures blood oxygen saturation (SpO2). This is an important vital sign for assessing a patient’s physical health as low blood oxygen levels can indicate hypoxemia which – if untreated – can compromise organ functions and can even lead to respiratory or cardiac arrest. It also includes an accelerometer for tracking physical activity, an ECG heart activity tracker and bioelectrical impedance monitoring.

“Traditionally, blood oxygen saturation is measured with a separate device attached to the finger. This is not very practical for daily living, so we developed a new technique that performs the measurement with a chest patch, via reflective photoplethysmography. By adding this sensing capability to our wearable solution, we are now able to measure three essential vital signs - heart rate, breathing rate and blood oxygen saturation - with a single unobtrusive and comfortable chest patch,” explains Bernard Grundlehner.


Purdue, imec, Indiana announce partnership
Resilinc partners with SEMI on supply chain resilience
NIO and NXP collaborate on 4D imaging radar deployment
Panasonic Industry digitally transforms with Blue Yonder
Global semiconductor sales decrease 8.7%
MIT engineers “grow” atomically thin transistors on top of computer chips
Keysight joins TSMC Open Innovation Platform 3DFabric Alliance
Leti Innovation Days to explore microelectronics’ transformational role
Quantum expansion
indie launches 'breakthrough' 120 GHz radar transceiver
Wafer fab equipment - facing uncertain times?
Renesas expands focus on India
Neuralink selects Takano Wafer Particle Measurement System
Micron reveals committee members
Avoiding unscheduled downtime in with Preventive Vacuum Service
NFC chip market size to surpass US$ 7.6 billion
Fujifilm breaks ground on new €30 million European expansion
Fraunhofer IIS/EAS selects Achronix embedded FPGAs
Siemens announces certifications for TSMC’s latest processes
EU Chips Act triggers further €7.4bn investment
ASE recognised for excellence by Texas Instruments
Atomera signs license agreement with STMicroelectronics
Gartner forecasts worldwide semiconductor revenue to decline 11% in 2023
CHIPS for America outlines vision for the National Semiconductor Technology Center
TSMC showcases new technology developments
Alphawave Semi showcases 3nm connectivity solutions
Greene Tweed to open new facility in Korea
Infineon enables next-generation automotive E/E architectures
Global AFM market to reach $861.5 million
Cepton expands proprietary chipset
Semtech adds two industry veterans to board of directors
Specialty gas expansion
×
Search the news archive

To close this popup you can press escape or click the close icon.
Logo
×
Logo
×
Register - Step 1

You may choose to subscribe to the Silicon Semiconductor Magazine, the Silicon Semiconductor Newsletter, or both. You may also request additional information if required, before submitting your application.


Please subscribe me to:

 

You chose the industry type of "Other"

Please enter the industry that you work in:
Please enter the industry that you work in: