Wearable medical device with nanosensors for drug release

A report in Asian Scientist says that scientists in Seoul have developed a multifunctional wearable healthcare device that can perform monitoring, diagnostic and therapeutic tasks.

Health-monitoring devices that continuously probe physiological activity are needed to understand and treat chronic diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. However, such devices face an array of challenges such as miniaturization, waterproofing and flexibility to stretch and bend along with skin.

Kim Dae-Hyeong and colleagues at the Institute of Basic Science and Seoul National University in South Korea have created a wearable device that addresses these challenges by integrating stretchable sensors, memory and actuators all made of nanomaterials. Their results were published in Nature Nanotechnology.

The team used silicon nanomembranes in the motion sensors, gold nanoparticles in the non-volatile memory and silica nanoparticles loaded with drugs in a thermal actuator. These components were then integrated in a patch capable of resisting stretch and bend forces so could be worn on the skin. The system is able to measure and record muscle activity – a key requirement to diagnose movement disorders. Recorded data then triggers the release of the therapeutic agents contained in the silica nanoparticles by means of the thermal actuator, allowing the drug diffuse into the skin. A temperature sensor made of silicon nanomembranes was used to monitor the skin temperature during delivery to prevent burns.

“It is the breakthrough in mobile healthcare,” said Dae-Hyeong. “This system will be especially helpful for the continuous monitoring of Parkinson’s disease patients, thereby improving diagnosis and therapy. In conjunction with other smart devices, remote diagnosis and therapy will be possible.”