Product
Our smart band- aid like blood pressure sensors are to allow blood pressure to be monitored everywhere and every-time. It is flexible, portable, and accurate. The flexibility comes from the fact that we will use graphene. This is because graphene is known for its strength and flexibility. It will be portable because the device will simply stick to your wrist similar to a Band-Aid. The adhesive used to achieve this is acrylic polymer. Acrylic polymer dries quickly and has good bonding strength without damaging the outer skin layer. Accuracy will come in the form of a sensor. To be more specific six strain sensors. In each sensor, there is a circuit with a DC current running through it and a resistor. When a vibration from arty is detected the resistor will change shape. The reason for this is because of Ohm's law. This formula states the I=V/R. I is current, V is voltage, and R is resistance. When vibrations are felt, then resistance is increased and current is decreased. This is how iBlood is different.
Technical Notes
Blood pressure is crucial because it measures the force of blood against the walls of arteries as the heart pumps it around the body. Maintaining a healthy blood pressure is vital for overall cardiovascular health. High blood pressure or hypertension can strain the heart, arteries, and organs, leading to serious health issues such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems. Blood pressure and pulse are related but measure different aspects of the cardiovascular system. Blood pressure consists of two values: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. Pulse is the number of times the heart beats per minute. While there is not a direct correlation, they are interconnected. Changes in blood pressure can influence pulse, and vice versa. Currently, blood pressure is typically measured using a sphygmomanometer. This is a device with an inflatable cuff that is placed around the upper arm. A stethoscope is used to listen for the sounds of blood flow as the cuff is inflated and then slowly deflated. The measurements include systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. Measuring blood pressure also has its challenges. One challenge is white coat syndrome which is anxiety or stress in a medical setting can lead to higher-than-normal readings. Another is masked hypertension. Some individuals may have usual readings at the doctor's office but elevated readings in everyday life.
Sources
Monitoring Blood Pressure and Cardiac Function without ... - Science, www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adh0615. Accessed 15 Jan. 2024.
Validating Cuffless Continuous Blood Pressure ... - Sciencedirect, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666693623000014. Accessed 15 Jan. 2024.
Zhang, Yingying. 2023, Monitoring Blood Pressure and Cardiac Function without Positioning via a Deep Learning–Assisted Strain Sensor Array, file:///Users/atomix/Downloads/Supporting%20Information%20(1).pdf. Accessed 14 Jan. 2024.
Zhao, Lei, et al. “Emerging Sensing and Modeling Technologies for Wearable and Cuffless Blood Pressure Monitoring.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 22 May 2023, www.nature.com/articles/s41746-023-00835-6.
