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Category: wearables

Shrinking materials hold big potential for smart devices, researchers say

Wearable electronics could be more wearable, according to a research team at Penn State. The researchers have developed a scalable, versatile approach to designing and fabricating wireless, internet-enabled electronic systems that can better adapt to 3D surfaces, like the human body or common household items, paving the path for more precise health monitoring or household automation, such as a smart recliner that can monitor and correct poor sitting habits to improve circulation and prevent long-term problems.

The method, detailed in Science Advances, involves printing liquid metal patterns onto heat-shrinkable polymer substrates—otherwise known as the common childhood craft “Shrinky Dinks.” According to team lead Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics in the College of Engineering, the potentially low-cost way to create customizable, shape-conforming electronics that can connect to the internet could make the broad applications of such devices more accessible.

“We see significant potential for this approach in biomedical uses or wearable technologies,” Cheng said, noting that the field is projected to reach $186.14 billion by 2030. “However, one significant barrier for the sector is finding a way to manufacture an easy-to-customize device that can be applied to freestanding, freeform surfaces and communicate wirelessly. Our method solves that.”

Harnessing Wearable Tech in Gastrointestinal Care

Wearable technologies have the potential to transform gastrointestinal care by enabling continuous monitoring of activity in patients with cirrhosis and aiding in the early detection of hepatic encephalopathy. While these innovations provide valuable clinical insights, further efforts are needed to address challenges related to implementation and data management.

Current research into wearable technology in liver disease supports these possibilities. Studies of wrist-worn activity monitors have shown that reduced activity is associated with increased waitlist mortality among liver transplant candidates, as well as increased hospital admissions and mortality in patients with cirrhosis. Other investigations with wearables have linked sleep disturbances to poorer post-liver transplant outcomes and explored skin patches and transdermal sensors for detecting blood alcohol levels and inflammatory markers predictive of outcomes in cirrhosis, Buckholz said.

A major barrier to widespread implementation in clinical practices is the so-called “wearable paradox,” whereby early adopters of wearable technology tend to be relatively healthy, whereas those at highest risk are less likely to already use such devices, Buckholz noted. Increasing access, understanding, and uptake in vulnerable populations will therefore be critical.

Additional challenges include determining how to distill massive volumes of wearable data into concise formats that can be incorporated into electronic medical records (EMRs) and easily communicated to patients.

Developmental Cell

Cancer stem cell plasticity and tumor hierarchy👇

✅Hierarchical tumor organization Tumors are organized in a hierarchical manner, with cancer stem cells (CSCs) positioned at the apex. CSCs possess long-term self-renewal capacity and generate diverse progeny, sustaining tumor growth and cellular heterogeneity.

✅Self-renewal and differentiation CSCs can undergo self-renewal to maintain the stem cell pool or differentiate into multiple cancer cell lineages. These differentiated cells form the bulk of the tumor and display varying functional and phenotypic states.

✅Cell plasticity and dedifferentiation Differentiated cancer cells are not irreversibly committed. Through cellular plasticity, they can dedifferentiate back into CSCs, often via processes such as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), restoring stem-like properties.

✅Interconversion of CSC states Distinct CSC subpopulations can transition between different stemness states. This dynamic interconversion enhances tumor adaptability and contributes to therapy resistance and disease progression.

✅Biological and clinical relevance The combination of hierarchy and plasticity allows tumors to regenerate after treatment and maintain intratumoral diversity. Targeting both CSCs and the mechanisms that enable plasticity is therefore critical for effective cancer therapy.

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Continue reading “Developmental Cell” | >

MXene-based e-tattoos harvest energy and monitor health in real time

Researchers at Boise State University have developed a breakthrough in wearable electronics: a multifunctional electronic tattoo (e‑tattoo) that integrates energy harvesting, energy storage, and real‑time biometric sensing into a single, skin‑conformal platform.

The innovation leverages electrospun poly(vinyl butyral‑co‑vinyl alcohol‑co‑vinyl acetate) (PVBVA) fibers coated with titanium carbide (Ti₃C₂Tₓ) MXenes, offering a scalable, biocompatible, and durable alternative to conventional wearable devices that often rely on rigid substrates or external gels.

The work is published in the journal Advanced Science.

Transistor ‘design limitation’ actually improves performance, scientists find

What many engineers once saw as a flaw in organic electronics could actually make these devices more stable and reliable, according to new research from the University of Surrey and Joanneum Research Materials.

The paper, which will be presented at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) 2025, describes how embracing small energy barriers at the metal/semiconductor interface of organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) can help them perform more consistently and operate more reliably over time.

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are a key component of what are thought to be the next generation of flexible and wearable electronics. They are lightweight, low-cost and printable on large areas, but their long-term stability has been a persistent challenge.

From mind-controlling tech to clinical therapy

Researchers at the University of Geneva, together with colleagues in Switzerland, France, the United States and Israel, describe how optogenetic control of brain cells and circuits is already steering both indirect neuromodulatory therapies and first-in-human retinal interventions for blindness, while sketching the practical and ethical conditions needed for wider clinical use.

Optogenetic control uses light to impose temporally precise gain or loss of function in specific cell types, or even individual cells. Selected by location, connections, gene expression or combinations of these features, researchers now have an unprecedented way to investigate the brain within living animals.

Modern experiments range from implanted fiber optics to three-dimensional holographic illumination of defined neuronal ensembles and noninvasive wearable LEDs, with interventions that can run from milliseconds to chronic use and effect sizes that change rapidly with changes in light intensity.

Polarized light boosts accuracy of wearable health sensors for all skin tones

Photoplethysmography (PPG) is an optical sensing technique that measures blood volume changes and underpins devices ranging from hospital-grade pulse oximeters to consumer wearables that track heart rate, sleep, and oxygenation.

Despite its widespread use, PPG accuracy can vary significantly across individuals, particularly by skin tone. Darker skin contains more melanin, which absorbs and scatters light, often leading to less reliable readings. This disparity has been linked to inaccuracies in blood-oxygen measurements among people with more melanin.

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