Tattoo-Like Wearable Technology Can Make Hospital Visits Easier

The future of wearable technology is not about being smaller but more functional anymore. Instead, researchers are looking to create something that can be directly applied to the skin. 

While that seems creepy to think about, the possibility is quite remarkable as well. There will be no need for additional hardware anymore when that happens. 

Currently, scientists have already come up with flexible, wearable integrated circuits that can be applied to the person's skin directly. The brain child behind this invention is Zhenqiang "Jack" Ma, an engineering professor at UW-Madison.

When worn, this will look like a tattoo. For sure, some will find that cool for that reason alone!

However, apart from being aesthetically satisfying, these stretchable circuits can also upport frequencies in the .3 gigahertz-to-300 gigahertz range, which would enable doctors and patients to monitor vital health signs completely wirelessly! Now this is a breakthrough -- professionals may potentially monitor the data of patients without being in the same room.

Researchers behind the breakthrough technology claimed that those with this would no longer go to clinics frequently for health purposes. Aside from fewer in-office visits, bulky machinery and complicated wiring will no longer be necessary.  According to Gizmodo, this would ultimately make hospital visits much more comfortable.

This wearable technology has a quite unique structure, ensuring quality performance. As Science News Journal explained, the integrated circuits contain "two ultra-tiny intertwining power transmission lines that wrap in S-curves which are built together in a repeating pattern ... Their serpentine shape gives the lines the ability to stretch without losing their performance value, while also avoiding interference from the outside."

Since Ma's work was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, it won't be long when the next health revolution is the market already. The medical field will soon be taken by storm.