Amazing Invention…Liquid Brain-Measuring Ink Revolutionizes ‘Diagnosis’

I offered this Technology The innovation was published Monday in the journal Cell Biomaterials, where it presented a promising alternative to traditional methods used in tracking. Brain waveslike Electroencephalogram (EEG), which usually requires a complex and uncomfortable procedure.

Nanchu Lu, Professor at… University of Texas in AustinThis technology is a major advance in design Sensors Biocompatible materials, as well as rapid printing, enable the production of electronic sensors applicable to the body, with wide application in both clinical and non-clinical fields.

The electroencephalogram (EEG) tool is considered one of the basic tools for diagnosing neurological diseases, such as seizures, brain tumors, epilepsy and injuries, but the traditional method takes a long time and causes inconvenience to patients due to the placement of electrodes on the head. , which can take hours of sitting.

Lu and his team have been working to develop “electronic tattoo” technology, which are small sensors printed on the skin to measure physical activity.

Although this technique was effective on hairless skin such as the chest or muscles, a major challenge was applying it to hairy areas such as the scalp.

The innovation of liquid ink

To overcome this challenge, the team created a liquid ink made of conductive polymers that can flow through the hair to reach the scalp and, once dry, act as a thin sensor that picks up brain signals through the scalp.

Using computer algorithms, researchers can locate the EEG electrodes and then use a digital printer to spray a thin layer of ink onto these points, making the process faster and more comfortable for the patient.

Promising results

In an experiment with five short-haired participants, the team printed electronic tattoo electrodes on their heads, while attaching traditional EEG electrodes to the same head for comparison.

The results showed that the electronic tattoo electrodes were effective in detecting brain waves with minimal noise, providing greater accuracy compared to traditional electrodes that fail after a few hours of use.

A promising future

The technology continues to advance thanks to modifications to the ink formula, with the team printing lines of traces that extend from the electrodes to the base of the head, replacing the long wires used in traditional EEG. In the future, the team plans to incorporate wireless data transmitters into electronic tags, which will enable a completely wireless EEG test.

As for other applications, Jose Miyan, one of the study’s authors from the University of Texas, noted that the technology could revolutionize the design of brain-computer interface devices.

Instead of bulky devices that are difficult to use, printing directly on the patient’s head can provide more intuitive and convenient interfaces, paving the way for new applications such as controlling external devices using brain activity.

This invention represents an important step towards improving the accuracy and convenience of monitoring brain activity. Liquid ink technologies and non-invasive brain-computer interfaces offer new frontiers in neurodiagnosis and treatment, while simultaneously increasing the applicability of this technology in the daily lives of patients.