New solar- powered heart monitor can be taped to skin
◗ Researchers from the University of Tokyo and RIKEN in Japan integrated a sensory device, called an organic electrochemical transistor — that can be used to measure a variety of biological functions — into a flexible organic solar cell.
Tokyo, Sept. 27: Japanese scientists say they have developed a human- friendly, ultraflexible organic sensor powered by sunlight, which acts as a self- powered heart monitor.
Researchers from the University of Tokyo and RIKEN in Japan integrated a sensory device, called an organic electrochemical transistor — that can be used to measure a variety of biological functions — into a flexible organic solar cell.
They were then able to measure the heartbeats of rats and humans under bright light conditions, according to the research published in the journal Nature.
“This is a nice step forward in the quest to make self- powered medical monitoring devices that can be placed on human tissue,” said Kenjiro Fukuda of the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science.
Self- powered devices that can be fitted directly on human skin or tissue have great potential for medical applications.
They could be used as physiological sensors for the real- time monitoring of heart or brain function in the human body, researchers said.
However, practical realisation has been impractical due to the bulkiness of batteries and insufficient power supply, or due to noise interference from the electrical supply, impeding conformability and long- term operation, they said.
The key requirement for such devices is a stable and adequate energy supply.
The study used a nanograting surface on the light absorbers of the solar cell, allowing for high photo- conversion efficiency ( PCE) and light angle independency.
he researchers were able to achieve a PCE of 10.5 per cent and a high power- per- weight ratio of 11.46 watts per gramme, approaching the “magic number” of 15 per cent that will make organic photovoltaics competitive with their silicon- based counterparts. — PTI