If you’re over 10 years old, you’ve almost certainly had your blood pressure taken and it is even more likely that it was done with a blood pressure cuff, a technology that dates from the 1800s. Its age notwithstanding, it’s still the gold standard in blood pressure measurement today.
It no longer has to be taken in a clinical setting, though. Anyone who needs to monitor their blood pressure can buy an inexpensive home unit that takes the measurement at least as accurately as an MD can. The problem is, if you need monitoring, you’d like it to be more or less continuous rather than once a day or week. Apple has been hinting at a solution for this with its iWatch but there are still problems.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have a different idea: Use a graphene-based “e-tattoo” to take the measurements. The e-tattoo has a lot of advantages. It’s portable, inobtrusive, and doesn’t move around. That last feature is important for getting consistent readings. The tattoos work by shooting electricity into the skin and monitoring the results.
The article doesn’t say when, or even if, the researchers expect the technique to be available as a usable product but it’s sure to make a huge difference if it lives up to its promise.