Graphene-based sensors ‘offer new health monitoring applications’

New wearable technology has been developed that incorporates unobtrusive and highly precise sensors created using graphene.

A team from the University of Sussex has produced a liquid made from an emulsion of graphene, water and oil, which conducts electricity. When a channel or tube holding the liquid is stretched by even a small amount, the conductivity of the liquid changes.

This means it can be used to monitor respiration rates and pulses when incorporated into a wearable device, picking up very small signals without any need for a large, cumbersome construction.

Professor Alan Dalton, from the University of Sussex's school of mathematics and physical sciences, said: "Graphene is very affordable as it can be produced using naturally-occurring graphite, so this could be rolled out on a big scale. This is good news for health services, because the new technology will not be expensive to make and buy."

This could be used to monitor sick infants in remote parts of the world or to help parents at home keep track of their babies' heart and breathing rates via their smartphones. It could also offer considerable potential as a treatment for sleep apnoea.

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