Summary of Transformative Technology for Deep Tissue Monitoring: Wearable Ultrasound Patches:
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a stretchable ultrasonic array that can perform non-invasive, serial 3D imaging of tissues up to 4 cm below the skin’s surface. This elastography monitoring system can map the mechanical properties of deep tissues, providing serial data on pathological tissues that can be crucial in monitoring diseases such as cancer. It can also be used to monitor musculoskeletal disorders, diagnose and monitor myocardial ischemia, and assess liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Softsonics LLC is commercializing the technology.
*****
Stretchable Ultrasound Patch: A Non-Invasive Method for Improved Tissue Stiffness Measurement
A team of engineers from the University of California San Diego has developed a stretchable ultrasound patch that can perform non-invasive, serial 3D imaging of tissues up to 4 centimeters deep in the skin with high spatial resolution. The new method could offer advanced solutions for measuring tissue stiffness and better treating various conditions, including cancer and sports injuries.
The Innovation
The wearable patch can frequently evaluate the stiffness of human tissue. The device uses a patched array of ultrasound elements integrated into a soft elastomer matrix. Wavy serpentine stretchable electrodes connect these elements, enabling the device to conform to human skin for serial assessment of tissue stiffness. This new technology boasts a spatial resolution of 0.5 millimeters and offers a more extended, non-invasive solution compared to current techniques, with enhanced penetration depth.
Key Applications
The elastography monitoring system provides a serial, non-invasive, and three-dimensional mapping of mechanical properties for deep tissues and has several critical applications. In medical research, serial data on pathological tissues can provide crucial information on disease progression, such as cancer, which usually causes cells to stiffen. Monitoring muscles, tendons, and ligaments can help diagnose and treat sports injuries. In addition, this device can help assess the efficacy and delivery of continuous elastography, which is used for current treatments for liver and cardiovascular illnesses, along with some chemotherapy agents.
Moreover, this technology can be applied in other scenarios like monitoring fibrosis, and liver cirrhosis, assessing musculoskeletal disorders such as tendonitis, tennis elbow, and carpal tunnel syndrome, and diagnosis and monitoring for myocardial ischemia.
Benefits
The wearable ultrasound patch breaks through the limitations of traditional ultrasound technology, such as one-time testing, testing only within hospitals, and the need for staff operation. Patients can continuously monitor their health status using this patch anytime, anywhere. This reduces misdiagnoses and fatalities and significantly cuts costs by providing a non-invasive and low-cost alternative to traditional diagnostic procedures.
Testing
In testing, the device was used to map three-dimensional distributions of Young’s modulus of tissues ex vivo, detect microstructural damage in the muscles of volunteers before the onset of soreness, and monitor the dynamic recovery process of muscle injuries during physiotherapy. The device consists of a 16 by 16 array. Each element comprises a 1-3 composite part and a backing layer made from a silver-epoxy composite designed to absorb excessive vibration, broadening the bandwidth and improving axial resolution.
Conclusion
Wearable ultrasound patches accomplish the detection function of traditional ultrasound by providing an innovative solution in the healthcare monitoring field for improving patient outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and promoting the widespread adoption of point-of-care diagnosis. We will likely see even more significant advances in medical imaging and healthcare monitoring as this technology develops.
