Brain monitoring could be about to get much faster and more accessible.
Scientists have discovered a new way to monitor brain activity using temporary electronic tattoos.
The new technology could make it easier and quicker to follow brain activity and recognize neurological conditions.
When it comes to diagnosing epilepsy, seizures, or brain cancer, patients currently have to get an electroencephalogram (EEG) test.
Preparing for EEG tests can take one to two hours, as technicians have to mark a person’s head using a ruler and pencil to glue electrodes to the right spots of the head.
But even after this preparation, technicians are required to monitor the electrodes every few hours to ensure that they stay attached to the scalp, explains Nanshu Lu, one of the technology’s developers, to Live Science.
The new technology employs a robot programmed to mark a person’s scalp with ink from conductive materials, saving time and labor.
It’s been reported that the process still takes an hour as technicians have to manually check a person’s head movements, but in the future, it could be shortened to 20 minutes.
When the ink dries, it turns into an electronic tattoo as thick as half the width of a human hair. This e-tattoo can be used to observe any changes in brain activity, as it works in the same way as standard EEG electrodes.
Researchers have already tested the technology on five people to compare it with traditional EEG technology. The test revealed that electronic tattoos were indeed as reliable as EEG electrodes.
The study also revealed that the e-tattoo stayed longer, making it possible to monitor brain activity for a day, while the EEG electrodes started falling off after six hours.
When it comes to removing the electrodes, the e-tattoos can be simply wiped with alcohol wipes or washed with shampoo, which is far easier to remove than EEG electrode glue.
The next step for researchers working on this new technology is to find out if electronic tattoos could work on patients with specific neurological disabilities. The question also remains whether they could be used on people who have different types and lengths of hair or have skin allergies.
The researchers also plan to design a printer that produces ink that doesn’t rub off easily. This would allow scientists to monitor a person’s brain activity overnight and diagnose potential sleep disorders.
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