A body sensor inspired by origami could one day be implanted through a tiny incision to track our health in real time. In experiments on rats, the minimally invasive device unfolded beneath their skin to continuously monitor their heart and breathing rates, and scientists expect that a similarly sized implant could work in people.
Implantable sensors already exist, but face a trade-off between size and performance. A relatively large size is generally required to integrate the electronics for wireless power delivery and electrical or electrochemical monitoring. But the new sensor, called MiFi, is folded so it compresses during insertion and then expands beneath the skin into a 2.1 centimetre square that is 0.3 millimetres thick.
Read Full Article Here
