Researchers from the University of Houston have developed a rubbery electronic patch that can be placed over the heart to record electrophysiological activity, temperature, heartbeat, and other cardiac indicators. Pacemakers and other implantable cardiac devices have drawbacks as they are made with rigid materials (cannot be placed directly on a beating heart) or soft materials (can collect only a limited amount of information). To overcome this limitation, a novel epicardial patch is made from flexible electronic materials compatible with heart tissue.
This rubbery device has diagnostic and therapeutic applications in multiplexed ECG mapping, strain and temperature sensing, electrical pacing, thermal ablation, and energy harvesting. The patch has the potential to identify cardiac arrest in vulnerable individuals and can also quickly detect signs of arrhythmia. The device could be a…
