Israeli and Chinese researchers have developed a flexible platform of smart microneedles for diagnosing diseases quickly, continuously and painlessly, the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) said Wednesday.
The new technology, described in the journal Advanced Materials, was developed by researchers from the Technion, and their Chinese counterparts from the Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Shenzhen, Lanzhou University and Xidian University in Xi'an.
The smart microneedles are fixed in a sticker patch that adheres to the skin. The patch is made of a flexible and soft polymer that stretches and contracts along with the skin and therefore does not interfere with any medical action.
The smart needles are short and thin, crossing only the first layer of the skin and therefore not painful.
Despite their length, the needles can reach the extracellular fluid beneath the skin and measure biological and chemical components such as sodium, glucose, acidity (pH) and more.
Data transfer to doctors and patients is done wirelessly, using cloud and Internet of Things technologies.
The continuous monitoring allows for early detection of physiological disorders, and essential for the prevention of diseases and other health complications such as heart, kidney and infectious disease.
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