Wearable ultrasound device monitors muscle activity

The battery-powered device sticks to the skin with a layer of adhesive and enables high-resolution tracking of muscle function without invasive procedures. Potential applications are foreseen in healthcare and human-machine interfaces.

A team of researchers led by Sheng Xu, a professor and Jacobs Faculty Scholar in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering at UC San Diego, have published their work in Nature Electronics. The work was a collaborative project with Jinghong Li, a pulmonologist, intensive care specialist and professor of medicine at UC San Diego Health.

In tests, the device was worn over the rib cage to monitor diaphragm motion and thickness, which are useful for assessing respiratory health. 

“By tracking diaphragm activity, the technology could potentially support patients with respiratory conditions and those reliant on mechanical ventilation,” co-author Joseph Wang said in a statement.

Additionally, researchers successfully used the device on the forearm to capture hand and wrist muscle activity, which enabled its use as a human-machine interface to control a robotic arm and play a virtual game.