Wearable Tattoo For Your Safety is Here!
Alcohol levels can now be detected really fast and non-invasively. This is thanks to the combined expertise of nanoengineers and computer engineers for the development of a small monitoring device, worn on the skin, that detects alcohol levels in perspiration.
This monitoring device resembles a tattoo patch that measures alcohol levels and sends them to the user’s cell phone, making real-time alcohol monitoring possible, practical, and personal.
The new invention was realized through funding from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), with the collaboration of nanoengineers and electrical and computing engineers at the University of California, San Diego in La Jolla.
This amazing invention is published in the July issue of the journal ACS Sensors.
Meet the Biosensor Tattoo Patch!
With an aim to address the prevailing problem of surging alcohol-related deaths in the United States of America, the engineers developed a biosensor patch that resembles a temporary tattoo.
The patch is embedded with several flexible wireless components with a distinct purpose. One component releases a chemical that stimulates perspiration on the skin below the patch. Another component senses changes in the electrical current flowing through the generated sweat, which measures alcohol levels and sends them to the user’s cell phone.
Aside from its special features, Patrick Mercier, Ph.D. at UCSD’s Jacobs School of Engineering and co-senior author unveils the advantages of their technology design. Its ability to send alcohol levels to your smartphone in just 8 minutes makes it convenient and ensures the safety of the user.
The new device is non-invasive and unseen by others, for instance, in a bar. This is a feature that could make its use more attractive to individuals. With these unique features, the innovators believe the device has great potential for people to self-monitor their alcohol intake and postpone driving if they have had too much to drink.
