Scientists from the University of Texas at Austin and Northwestern University in Chicago have made a groundbreaking discovery. They’ve developed a new replacement for implantable defibrillators and pacemakers. Experts have created a supermaterial made from graphene that is lightweight and ultra-strong.
The graphene implant is thin enough to be paper, yet it works like a pacemaker. This newly developed e-tattoo can treat irregular heartbeats and cardiac arrhythmias. The implant, a thin, flexible tattoo paper that can be stretched and strengthened to withstand the dynamic motions caused by a beating heart, can also withstand the movements. Graphene, a fragile, atomically pure form of carbon, has applications in high-performance electronic devices, high-strength materials, and energy devices.
Scientists have developed electronic tattoos using graphene to replace defibrillators and pacemakers.
Researchers explored new ways to replace traditional pacemakers after overcoming several challenges related to discovering electronic graphene tattoos. Scientists discovered a revolutionary technique for adhering graphene to a beating surface. The scientists could encapsulate the carbon graphene within a flexible, elastic membrane with a small hole that allowed access to an internal graphene electrode. Gold tape as thin 10 microns was placed on top of the encapsulating silicone layer to connect graphene and the external electronics to measure and stimulate the heart. All layers are less than 100 microns thick, making this the thinnest heart implant ever.
Testing graphene tattoo
Rats were used to test graphene tattoos. The scientists placed the paper-thin device on the skin and observed the irregular heartbeats. After that, they delivered a series of electrical pulses to the rat without changing or disrupting its natural motion. The technology is also optically transparent, allowing the researchers to track and modulate the heart rhythm using light.
Nai-Chang Yeh is a Caltech scientist who reported that graphene, which is a single layer carbon atoms in a honeycomb arrangement, was an attractive material for biomedical applications. Scinece News. She added, “Graphene has many advantages: it is flexible, biocompatible, highly transparent and conductive. It also has a high mechanical strength.”
What is a Graphene Tattoo? How does it differ from a pacemaker
“Graphene Tattoo” is a fictional application that uses graphene (a sheet of carbon atoms arranged into a hexagonal grid one bit thick) as a thin, flexible patch to monitor and regulate heart health. The graphene tattoo is transparent, non-invasive, and comfortable to wear.
This “tattoo,” also equipped with sensors, can monitor heart rhythm and rate in real time. The graphene tattoo can wirelessly transmit data to an app on a smartphone, allowing doctors and patients to monitor heart health and receive accurate information.
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