Graphene rubber bands set to revolutionise healthcare?

Although body motion sensors already exist in different forms, they have not been widely used due to their complexity and cost of production. Now, however, a team from the University of Surrey and Trinity College in Dublin have created a flexible sensor which they say is sensitive enough for medical use and can be made cheaply. "It sounds like a simple concept, but our graphene infused rubber bands could really help to revolutionise remote healthcare," said Dr Alan Dalton, of the University of Surrey. Once treated, the rubber bands remain highly pliable and can stretch to 1,100% their original length. They have so far been used to sense vibration up to 160Hz and strain rates up to 6000%/s. What's more, they cost very little to make and are said to be comparable in performance to commercial sensors. The researchers believe they could be used to monitor a patient's breathing, heart rate and movement, alerting doctors to any irregularities. Professor Jonathan Coleman from Trinity College, commented: "This stretchy material senses motion such as breathing, pulse and joint movement and could be used to create lightweight sensor suits for vulnerable patients such as premature babies, making it possible to remotely monitor their subtle movements and alert a doctor to any worrying behaviours. "These sensors are extraordinarily cheap compared to existing technologies. Each device would probably cost pennies instead of pounds, making it ideal technology for use in developing countries where there are not enough medically trained staff to effectively monitor and treat patients quickly." The research has been published in the journal ACS Nano.