Smart muscle repair patch

2023: Patch Announcement

At the end of June 2023, American scientists from the University of California at Los Angeles announced the development of a smart patch capable of tracking muscle activity with high accuracy. It is expected that the novelty will help in the rehabilitation of patients after injuries. In addition, the product can be useful to athletes - to optimize physical activity.

The development is a rubberized patch containing an array of nanomagnetic materials. A special thread with a silver coating is sewn into the surface. The patch uses a magnetoelastic effect and electromagnetic induction to track even the slightest changes in the force applied by the user when performing certain actions. The generated electrical signals can be processed in an application on a smartphone and presented as useful data informing, for example, about the dynamics of patient recovery. Based on such indications, the physiotherapist can adjust the rehabilitation program. At the same time, the coach will be able to choose the best training scheme for his wards.

Smart muscle repair patch

The cost of making a smart patch is less than $3. It has good strength, water resistance and elasticity. The product can be used to collect data on various muscle groups: the resulting readings are transmitted to a mobile device via wireless communication.

The researchers emphasize that their development is capable of converting biomechanical force into electricity, that is, acting as a tiny energy generator. And this means that the patch has autonomous power and does not require additional batteries or batteries.

In the future, experts intend to focus on reducing the thickness and weight of the product, as well as expanding the scope of its application.^[1]

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