Nanotechnology materials are going to open new realms of possibility for flexible and stretchable monitoring gadgets that are wearable directly on the skin. In our previous Nanotechnology in Healthcare Spotlight we already looked at some – even futuristic – biofunction monitors.

A new review in ACS Nano (“Lab-on-Skin: A Review of Flexible and Stretchable Electronics for Wearable Health Monitoring”) looks at the latest developments in a class of electronic devices, commonly referred to as electronic skin, epidermal electronics, or electronic tattoos, from the materials, devices, and medical applications perspectives.

While such devices can also be used for prosthetics and rehabilitation, optogenetics, and human-machine interfaces (HMI), this review focuses on the properties of the materials that enable skin-mounted sensors for use as diagnostic tools in the medical field.
We have covered this area in multiple Nanowerk Spotlights, for instance stick-on epidermal electronics tattoo to measure UV exposure or tattoo-type biosensors based on graphene; and we also have posted a primer on electronic skin.

In this latest review, after reviewing the latest developments in designs, materials, powering, and skin-integration strategies, the authors provide recent examples of devices for potential clinical applications in cardiology, dermatology, electrophysiology, and sweat diagnostics.

Image Credit:  From article

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