Researchers from Singapore, China, and the United States have developed a fabric that measures blood pressure in real time without needing batteries. The system, published in Nature Electronics, uses ultra-thin sensors and a textile metamaterial that receives power wirelessly from a nearby smartphone. Clothing thus becomes a passive medical device, eliminating the need for chargers or batteries.
How the metamaterial fabric separates energy and data 🧵
The system combines epidermal sensors attached to the skin with a special fabric that acts as a metamaterial. This textile material receives wireless power from a standard smartphone and, at the same time, transmits physiological data without interference. The key lies in physically separating the energy and communication channels within the fabric itself, avoiding electromagnetic noise. The researchers managed to make clothing function as an autonomous medical device, eliminating the need for rigid components or bulky batteries.
Now your t-shirt will take your blood pressure while you watch Netflix 📱
Finally, an excuse to not take off your clothes at home: your t-shirt is now also your nurse. Forget the inflatable cuff that crushes your arm like an angry octopus. With this development, you just need to have your phone nearby for the garment to do the dirty work. The downside is that if the smartphone runs out of battery, your t-shirt goes silent. So you know: charge your phone, or live with your blood pressure as an existential mystery. 😅