{"id":1480,"date":"2020-11-03T10:48:10","date_gmt":"2020-11-03T10:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=1480"},"modified":"2020-11-03T10:48:10","modified_gmt":"2020-11-03T10:48:10","slug":"electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"field field-name-field-header field-type-text-long field-label-hidden\">\n<div class=\"field-items\">\n<div class=\"field-item even\">\n<h5>by\u00a0Vittoria D\u2019Alessio<\/h5>\n<h3 class=\"selectionShareable\"><strong>Picture this: You\u2019ve experienced no physical sensation beyond your wrists for years, then a doctor drapes a thin, flexible membrane over your hand and, like magic, you can feel the trickle of water through your fingers again.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden\">\n<div class=\"field-items\">\n<div class=\"field-item even\">\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">This may sound like an outlandish scenario, but it\u2019s not. Researchers across Europe are making rapid progress towards developing elastic membrane patches that mimic the human skin either in looks, functionality, or both.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">Electronic skin (e-skin) is categorised as an \u2018electronic wearable\u2019 \u2013 that is, a smart device worn on, or near, the surface of the skin to extract and analyse information relating to the wearer. A better-known electronic wearable is an activity tracker, which typically senses movement or vibrations to give feedback on a user\u2019s performance. More advanced wearables collect data on a person\u2019s heart rate and blood pressure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">Developers of e-skins, however, are setting their sights higher. Their aim is to produce stretchy, robust, flexible membranes that incorporate advanced sensors and have the ability to self-heal. The potential implications for medicine and robotics are immense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\"><strong>Central nervous system<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">Already in circulation are skin-like membranes that adhere to the surface of the body and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6675826\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">detect pressure, strain, slip, force and temperature<\/a>. Others are being created to recognise biochemical changes that signal disease. A number of projects are working on skins that will envelop robots or human prosthetics, giving these machines and instruments the ability to manipulate objects and perceive their environments with a high degree of tactile sensitivity. And the dream, of course, is to develop an e-skin that can connect with the central nervous system of the wearer (someone who is paralysed, for instance), thereby restoring sensation that has been lost through disease or trauma.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">With their project called\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/875586\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PepZoSkin<\/a>, researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel are on a journey they believe will eventually turn this dream into a reality. Within a decade, they believe artificial skin patches will be sufficiently advanced to alert wearers to dangers they are not able to perceive naturally.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">\u2018I have a friend in a wheelchair who has no sensation in his legs \u2013 he has no idea if hot coffee has spilled on his legs,\u2019 said research associate Dr Sharon Gilead. \u2018The idea is that a skin patch on his leg will give a signal \u2013 maybe a red light \u2013 that will tell him when something is wrong, saving him from a severe burn.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">\u2018This will be a first step. And as we progress on this mission, we will get the thin layer (e-skin) to talk to the nervous system, replacing the sense of feeling that\u2019s missing. Though this is still a little distant, it\u2019s definitely the direction (we\u2019re moving in).\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">The Tel Aviv team is developing a skin that will extract and analyse health information without requiring an external source of power. The membrane will be self-powered thanks to a phenomenon known as piezoelectricity. This refers to an electric charge that accumulates in certain materials (including bone, DNA and certain proteins) in response to applied mechanical stress. In short, when you press on an e-skin made from piezoelectric material, even very gently, it will generate an electric charge. Add a circuit, and this electricity can be put to use \u2013 it could power a pacemaker, for instance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">For a person with paralysis, the hot spilled drink would create a deformation of the e-skin that would be read by the skin as a mechanical pressure, and this in turn would be translated into an electrical signal. This signal might then trigger that warning light or a sound.<\/p>\n<div class=\"quote-view quotesBlock quote_horizontal\">\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">\u2018As we progress on this mission, we will get the thin layer (e-skin) to talk to the nervous system, replacing the sense of feeling that\u2019s missing.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">Dr Sharon Gilead, Tel Aviv University, Israel<\/p>\n<div class=\"quotesBottom\"><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\"><strong>Non-toxic<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">The challenge right now is to find piezoelectric materials that are non-toxic to the body. Gal Fink, PhD student and PepZoSkin researcher, said: \u2018The piezoelectric materials in use today contain lead, making them damaging to the body. We focus on biological molecules and bio-inspired molecules (that is, lab-made molecules that imitate those found in the body).\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">Professor Ehud Gazit, who leads the project, explained the significance of finding piezoelectric materials that can be developed into safe products. \u2018Our current work on the piezoelectric\u00a0peptide materials will result, very soon, in lead-free products that work as well as the toxic, lead-filled products that are currently available, except of course our new materials will be far better because they will be safe to use in contact with the human body, and even as implants.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">Prof. Gazit\u2019s team expects to take their work to the next level early next year. By then, they hope to have chosen their organic molecule and optimised it for piezoelectric activity. Next, they plan to develop it into functional nanodevices. They believe that in time, these will be used extensively in biological and medical applications, serving as energy harvesters and biosensors, transmitting vital information directly from human tissue and back to the user or a third party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\"><strong>Disease<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">Biosensing is also at the core of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/824270\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A-Patch<\/a>, another e-skin project. With her team at the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) in Haifa, scientific project manager Dr Rotem Vishinkin has developed a patch based on a \u2018crazy idea\u2019 that Professor Hossam Haick, the project coordinator, had almost a decade ago that infectious diseases could be detected quickly and dependably through the skin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">\u2018We\u2019d already found a way to use\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acsnano.6b04930\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">breath analysis<\/a>\u00a0to discriminate between diseases, so we thought it might be feasible to use a patch on the skin to \u201csmell\u201d the body for conditions,\u2019 she explained.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">She was particularly keen to find a quick, non-invasive way to test for tuberculosis (TB) \u2013 a highly contagious disease that is particularly prevalent in countries of the developing world. TB affects 10 million people annually and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/tuberculosis\">kills 1.4 million<\/a>. Early detection is important, as transmission can be contained once a diagnosis has been made, and antibiotics are most effective when the infection is new.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">Typically, TB is diagnosed from the sputum a patient coughs up, but research suggests that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6459938\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">many people<\/a>\u00a0are unable to produce the quality sample needed to yield an accurate result. What\u2019s more, it can take up to two weeks for a test result to be delivered, especially in remote communities where samples travel big distances to reach a lab, giving the disease extra days or even weeks to run amok.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">The aim of A-Patch is to develop a cheap, efficient alternative to the sputum test. The ultra-thin, flexible patch uses chemical sensors to detect changes in the body\u2019s organic compounds that are triggered when the TB bacterium takes hold. Dr Vishinkin says that soon-to-be-published research funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation shows the A-Patch, when worn for an hour, delivers a TB diagnosis with a 90% accuracy rate. The team hopes to reduce the wearing time to five minutes, with the patch being applied to the arm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">A disposable A-Patch will cost between one to two US dollars, and require no lab equipment other than an electronic reader that a doctor can use to activate a patch and interpret the results. The Technion team has already lined up an industrial partner specialising in diagnostic kits to help bring the product to market. Dr Vishinkin is hopeful that a viable test will be rolled out within the next few years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">\u2018We estimate the available market for these kits is 71 million tests per year,\u2019 she said. \u2018And because a patch can be used at home, you don\u2019t need to worry about the stigma of going to a TB clinic to be tested. It means people will be more willing to step forward.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">The precise mechanisms for transmitting results from the patch to the reader are still being worked out. \u2018We\u00a0have partners in the fields of electronic circuits, sensors, data analysis to help us with aspects of the project,\u2019 said Dr Vishinkin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">In time, Dr Vishinkin anticipates developing a patch intended for longer-term use \u2013 to monitor the effectiveness of a TB treatment regime over a number of weeks, for instance. However, there\u2019s a high chance a patch will become ripped or damaged with extended use, rendering it ineffective. To mitigate this risk, the project\u2019s scientists have developed a mechanism of patch self-repair, which enables the matrix of peptide bonds in a membrane to make fresh networks once damage has been detected, restoring the integrity of the e-skin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\">\u2018Every day brings us closer to our target of creating a fast, reliable, simple diagnostic tool for TB,\u2019 said Dr Vishinkin. \u2018And we won\u2019t stop here. What we\u2019re creating is a platform for detecting diseases, not just a kit for a specific disease. We could easily switch to Covid-19 next.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"selectionShareable\"><em>The research in this article was funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Published by <a href=\"https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/\">Horizon<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by\u00a0Vittoria D\u2019Alessio Picture this: You\u2019ve experienced no physical sensation beyond your wrists for years, then a doctor drapes a thin, flexible membrane over your hand and, like magic, you can feel the trickle of water through your fingers again. This may sound like an outlandish scenario, but it\u2019s not. Researchers across Europe are making rapid &#8230; <a title=\"Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":1481,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,112],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-ict"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"by\u00a0Vittoria D\u2019Alessio Picture this: You\u2019ve experienced no physical sensation beyond your wrists for years, then a doctor drapes a thin, flexible membrane over your hand and, like magic, you can feel the trickle of water through your fingers again. This may sound like an outlandish scenario, but it\u2019s not. Researchers across Europe are making rapid ... Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Horizon Magazine Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-11-03T10:48:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/11\/aaron-lee-.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Horizon Magazine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Horizon Magazine\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1480\\\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1480\\\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679\"},\"headline\":\"Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-03T10:48:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1480\\\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1504,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1480\\\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/aaron-lee-.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Health\",\"ICT\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2020\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1480\\\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1480\\\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\\\/\",\"name\":\"Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease - Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1480\\\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1480\\\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/aaron-lee-.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-03T10:48:10+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1480\\\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1480\\\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1480\\\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/aaron-lee-.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/aaron-lee-.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1280,\"caption\":\"Researchers in Europe are working on elastic membrane patches that mimic how the skin looks and feels and can collect information related to the wearer.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1480\\\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"description\":\"The EU Research &amp; Innovation Magazine\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"width\":601,\"height\":283,\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/horizon.magazine.eu\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/HorizonMagEU\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/author\\\/horizonmagazine\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease - Horizon Magazine Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease","og_description":"by\u00a0Vittoria D\u2019Alessio Picture this: You\u2019ve experienced no physical sensation beyond your wrists for years, then a doctor drapes a thin, flexible membrane over your hand and, like magic, you can feel the trickle of water through your fingers again. This may sound like an outlandish scenario, but it\u2019s not. Researchers across Europe are making rapid ... Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/","og_site_name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu","article_published_time":"2020-11-03T10:48:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1280,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/11\/aaron-lee-.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Horizon Magazine","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Horizon Magazine","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/"},"author":{"name":"Horizon Magazine","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679"},"headline":"Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease","datePublished":"2020-11-03T10:48:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/"},"wordCount":1504,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/11\/aaron-lee-.jpg","articleSection":["Health","ICT"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2020","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/","name":"Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease - Horizon Magazine Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/11\/aaron-lee-.jpg","datePublished":"2020-11-03T10:48:10+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/11\/aaron-lee-.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/11\/aaron-lee-.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"caption":"Researchers in Europe are working on elastic membrane patches that mimic how the skin looks and feels and can collect information related to the wearer."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1480\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","description":"The EU Research &amp; Innovation Magazine","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","width":601,"height":283,"caption":"Horizon Magazine Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679","name":"Horizon Magazine","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Horizon Magazine"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU"],"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/author\/horizonmagazine\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/11\/aaron-lee-.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgtNKV-nS","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1928,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1928\/electronic-skin-patches-could-restore-lost-sensation-and-detect-disease-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":1480,"position":0},"title":"Electronic skin patches could restore lost sensation and detect disease","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"January 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This article was originally published on 28 October 2020. Picture this: You\u2019ve experienced no physical sensation beyond your wrists for years, then a doctor drapes a thin, flexible membrane over your hand and, like magic, you can feel the trickle of water through your fingers again. \u00a0 This may sound\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/01\/aaron-lee-.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/01\/aaron-lee-.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/01\/aaron-lee-.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/01\/aaron-lee-.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/01\/aaron-lee-.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2778,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2778\/from-cycling-to-sex-skin-patches-promise-to-make-their-mark\/","url_meta":{"origin":1480,"position":1},"title":"From cycling to sex, skin patches promise to make their mark","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"June 6, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"EU-funded researchers are taking technologies known as \u201csmart wearables\u201d to the next level. By Jessica Berthereau What do cycling, showering and making love have in common? All three activities prove the usefulness of a new generation of skin patches that can monitor people\u2019s vital signs like blood pressure and heart\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/06\/5-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/06\/5-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/06\/5-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/06\/5-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/06\/5-2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/06\/5-2.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2717,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2717\/for-diabetes-patients-needle-free-insulin-injections-are-on-the-way\/","url_meta":{"origin":1480,"position":2},"title":"For diabetes patients, needle-free insulin injections are on the way","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"March 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Scientists are closing in on a pain-free method for people with type 1 diabetes to control it. By \u00a0Vittoria D\u2019Alessio Lee Calladine pricks his skin with a needle up to eight times a day to give himself an injection of insulin \u2013 the hormone that keeps his type 1 diabetes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/03\/28.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/03\/28.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/03\/28.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/03\/28.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/03\/28.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/03\/28.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/58\/the-story-of-a-new-skin\/","url_meta":{"origin":1480,"position":3},"title":"The story of a new skin","author":"Gary Finnegan","date":"December 19, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Decades of scientific research into areas including plant genetics and data science helped doctors successfully carry out an experimental therapy to create a new skin for a seven-year-old boy suffering from a rare genetic disorder. Hassan\u2019s doctors had never seen anything like it: a seven-year-old who had lost almost all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fibrin cultured epidermal sheet - \u00a9 CMR Unimore_resized985","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/12\/Fibrin-cultured-epidermal-sheet-%C2%A9-CMR-Unimore_resized985.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/12\/Fibrin-cultured-epidermal-sheet-%C2%A9-CMR-Unimore_resized985.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/12\/Fibrin-cultured-epidermal-sheet-%C2%A9-CMR-Unimore_resized985.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/12\/Fibrin-cultured-epidermal-sheet-%C2%A9-CMR-Unimore_resized985.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2665,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2665\/two-itchy-skin-diseases-that-can-go-much-deeper\/","url_meta":{"origin":1480,"position":4},"title":"Two itchy-skin diseases that can go much deeper","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"February 7, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Psoriasis and eczema can have complex causes and consequences that researchers are seeking to uncover. By \u00a0Gareth Willmer In his mid-teens during the 1970s, Maarten de Wit had severe joint pain in multiple parts of his body. He had to wait another three years until the age of 19 before\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/02\/7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/02\/7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/02\/7.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/02\/7.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/02\/7.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/02\/7.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2186,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2186\/next-generation-sunscreen-to-better-prevent-harmful-effects-of-uv-solar-radiation\/","url_meta":{"origin":1480,"position":5},"title":"Next generation sunscreen to better prevent harmful effects of UV solar radiation","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"October 19, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"New formulation sunscreens could offer better protect against skin cancer by filtering out more harmful ultra-violet rays. By\u00a0\u00a0SARAH WILD While most Europeans enjoy a holiday in the sun, high energy ultraviolet (UV) light from sunshine damages the DNA in our skin. The best-known adverse effect of excessive UV exposure is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/19-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/19-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/19-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/19-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/19-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/19-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/298"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1480"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1480\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}