"World’s smallest computer” is a contentious title, not just because scientists are racing to shrink devices, but because the very definition of a computer could be up for debate. The latest claim to the title is a tiny device that communicates through light and makes a grain of rice look gigantic.
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Ordinarily, steel plants have to regularly halt production while a disposable probe gets lowered into the molten steel, measuring its temperature and collecting samples for chemical analysis. That may not be the case for much longer, though, thanks to a new laser-based inspection system.
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While there already are materials that change color in response to UV exposure, those color-changes involve reorganization of the material's molecular structure, so it can only be used a few times. A new material known as SensoGlow, however, can be used to detect and measure UVs over and over.
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There may be a new method of monitoring the alcohol intake of people in substance abuse treatment programs. Led by Prof. Drew Hall, scientists at the University of California San Diego have developed an alcohol-sensing chip that can be implanted in the body.
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In order to have their vital signs continuously monitored, patients in emergency rooms have to be hooked up to a variety of sensors – this makes it awkward for them to move around. Soon, however, all those machines could be replaced by one small electronic patch that adheres to their chest.
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Someday, patients may have small tags placed on their clothing when they enter a hospital or doctor's office waiting room. By the time they actually get tended to, their vital signs will already be known. If so, it'll be thanks to research currently being conducted at Cornell University.
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Despite the advances in sweat-monitoring biosensors the technology has had one major hurdle to overcome: the patient needs to sweat to make it work. Now a team has developed a sweat-stimulating biosensor that activates perspiration while the subject relaxes.
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We've already seen a few portable electrocardiographs that let users monitor the electrical activity of their heart, wherever they may be. Researchers from Spain have just developed a system of their own, however, which offers something that most others don't.
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A discreet wearable, currently funding on Kickstarter, hopes to provide users with greater awareness and self-regulation. The Lief smart patch is designed to initiate calming exercises when heart and breathing rates show elevated levels of stress.
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In order to monitor their blood glucose levels, diabetics typically have to perform finger-prick blood tests. Scientists from the University of Texas at Dallas, however, are creating an electrochemical biosensor that continuously measures glucose in the wearer's sweat.
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