BioStamp
The technology itself is nothing new. It might include, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and an electromyography sensor to record muscle firings. This is about repackaging existing technology in a way that encourages regular, consistent use by patients. The BioStamp is to be worn constantly, however in two-week periods since human skin will, on average, start to exfoliate causing the stamp to wear away.
Design + Need
The design of the BioStamp to targets a wide range of users since it primarily has a monitoring function that overlooks the users health holistically rather than focusing on one specific disease or condition. The incredible thinness of the stamp is what sets it apart from all other current health monitoring devices. Because of its low price and convenience, it could reach out to almost anybody and therefore raise overall awareness in health conditions across the world.
Scale
The BioStamp is about the size of a coin, but as thin as a temporary tattoo and is hooked up to an application that can be viewed with any smartphone, or a computer for further data collection and analysis.
Technology
The sensors collect data such as body temperature, heart rate, brain activity, exposure to UV rays, as well as hydration levels. The technology behind the bio-stamp has been developed by University of Illinois materials scientist John Rogers, a company cofounder. The stretchable Bio-Stamp is formed by depositing gold electrodes and wires that are just a few hundred nanometers thick onto silicon wafers by conventional means, then peeling them off and applying them to stretchable polymers. Unlike organic polymer electronics that can only bend, this approach makes electronics that can stretch and are faster than devices made of organic semiconductor materials, so they can provide precise real-time biological readings.
Unlike conventional health monitors such as the Nike FitBit or Jawbone UP wristbands, the BioStamp is soft and conformal to the human body, it stretches, twists, and moves with the body.
“By embedding technology in bendable, stretchable materials, you can start to think about entirely new form factors for electronics,” says Benjamin Schlatka, a co-founder of MC10.
Using near field communication—a wireless technology that allows devices to share data (think E-ZPass)—the BioStamp can upload its information to a nearby smartphone for analysis. Ideally, a phone with a near-field communication chip can be waved over the patch, or the patch can be paired with a thin-film battery made by a commercial supplier, allowing continuous data transmission between the user and his or her clinician.
Feasibility
“The idea behind continuous pickup of information is you get access to health care when you need it.” This way, patients or even healthy users that are merely monitoring their health status using the device could share data with doctors and receive immediate feedback. “This kind of constant monitoring fuels sci-fi visions of the future, when an ambulance may pull up next to you because the implanted sensors in your body are picking up the earliest indications of a heart attack.”
The BioStamp is expected to cost less than $10 per unit, and MC10 aims to have a commercial product in the next five years.
Criticism
A device such as the BioStamp can be revolutionary for healthcare if it could really be ‘embedded’ into our bodies where it won’t wear off as soon as two weeks. The BioStamp could essentially monitor all functions of a patient who is undergoing surgery, where large machinery and monitoring devices, wires, and unnecessary radiation can be eliminated. Since the BioStamp is completely personal and doesn’t require needles or any form of injection to monitor health statuses, the concern for infection upon contact is greatly lowered or even eliminated. Though it seems completely feasible, it is unclear what the ‘software’ is, how the information is being analyzed or displayed, and under what circumstances can this information be accessed. It seems as though there should be a greater system that collects all the data and organizes it on a streamlined platform that is somehow made accessible to the user.
Source
"Bio-stamp: a stretchy, twisty, wearable chip." > ENGINEERING.com. https://www.engineering.com/ElectronicsDesign/ElectronicsDesignArticles/ArticleID/5462/Bio-stamp-a-stretchy-twisty-wearable-chip.aspx (accessed September 24, 2014).
"Biostamp temporary tattoo wearable electronic circuits by MC10." Dezeen Biostamp temporary tattoobr electronic circuits by MC10 Comments. https://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/28/biostamp-temporary-tattoo-wearable-electronic-circuits-john-rogers-mc10/ (accessed September 24, 2014).
Grobart, Sam. "MC10's BioStamp: The New Frontier of Medical Diagnostics." Bloomberg Business Week. https://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-06-13/mc10s-biostamp-the-new-frontier-of-medical-diagnostics (accessed September 24, 2014).
"MC10 | Extending human capabilities through stretchable electronics." MC10. https://www.mc10inc.com/ (accessed September 24, 2014).
"When Wearable Tech Saves Your Life, You Won't Take It Off." Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/3033417/when-wearable-tech-saves-your-life-you-wont-take-it-off#3 (accessed September 24, 2014).
