Researchers have developed a small, adhesive patch that can perform continuous ultrasound imaging on the wearer for up to two days, according to a paper published yesterday (July 28) in Science. The device, designed by researchers at MIT, could allow clinicians to monitor patients’ internal organs over time, without the need for an expert sonographer—although the current design isn’t equipped for wireless data transfer and so has to remain hooked up to imaging equipment.
The patch is a “significant breakthrough toward mobile and ambulatory ultrasound imaging,” Nanshu Lu, a biomedical engineer at the University of Texas at Austin who was not involved in the work, tells The Guardian. “Without needing a sonographer, wearable and accessible ultrasound sensors would open many future possibilities such as heart imaging during the exercise stress test, at-home lung imaging for early detection of pneumonia, and many more.”
The patch, which is roughly the size of ...
