Jason Ford

Self-powered devices could help people monitor health

News

North Carolina State University is leading a nanotechnology research effort to create self-powered health monitoring sensors and devices to help people monitor their health and understand how the surrounding environment affects it.

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST) is a joint effort between NC State and partner institutions Florida International University, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Virginia.

The centre, funded by an initial five-year $18.5m (£11.5m) grant from NSF, also includes five affiliated universities and approximately 30 industry partners in its global research consortium.

ASSIST researchers will develop sensors that could be worn on the chest or wrist, as a cap that fits over a tooth, or in other ways depending on the biological system that’s being monitored.

According to NC State, wireless health monitoring is a fast-growing industry, but the self-powered technology being developed by ASSIST means that changing and recharging batteries on current devices could be eradicated.

By using nanomaterials and nanostructures, and thermoelectric and piezoelectric materials that use body heat and motion, respectively, as power sources, ASSIST researchers want to make devices that operate on the smallest amounts of energy.

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