Tiny particulates or noxious gases: From the day they are born, all people are exposed to a range of environmental forces. These forces constitute the exposome and affect the health and wellbeing of people around the world. A European research project has been set up to explore how the exposome affects the course of lung diseases. The microelectronics specialists at Fraunhofer IZM are on board and have developed a unique sensor bracelet that can pick up even tiniest concentrations of more than 40 individual harmful substances. The collected clinical data will show how these affect the lives of patients and may feed into more targeted and customised treatments.
A strain-sensing smart skin developed at Rice University (Houston, Texas) that uses very small structures, carbon nanotubes, to monitor and detect damage in large structures is ready for prime time. The “strain paint” first revealed by Rice in 2012 uses the fluorescent properties of nanotubes to show when a surface has been deformed by stress.
Using a novel fabrication process, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have produced smart textiles that snugly conform to the body so they can sense the wearer’s posture and motions.
