A Fully Integrated Wearable Ultrasound System to Monitor Deep Tissues in Moving Subjects
Abstract
Medical ultrasound is a powerful diagnostic and evaluation tool in hospitals and clinics due to its safety and versatility. Traditional ultrasound suffers from operator dependency and does not allow long-term usage. Recent advances in wearable ultrasound technologies have demonstrated the potential for hands-free data acquisition, but technical barriers remain as these probes require wire connections, can lose track of moving targets, and create data-interpretation challenges. Here we report a fully integrated autonomous wearable ultrasonic-system-on-patch (USoP). A miniaturized flexible control circuit is designed to interface with an ultrasound transducer array for signal pre-conditioning and wireless data communication. Machine learning is used to track moving tissue targets and assist the data interpretation. We demonstrate that the USoP allows continuous tracking of physiological signals from tissues as deep as 164 mm. On mobile subjects, the USoP can continuously monitor physiological signals, including central blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiac output, for as long as 12 h. This result enables continuous autonomous surveillance of deep tissue signals toward the internet-of-medical-things.
Biography
Muyang Lin is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego, working with Prof. Sheng Xu on biomedical devices. His research focuses on developing wearable sensors for autonomous and continuous deep-tissue imaging and characterizations. Lin's innovative work has extended the reach of diagnostic tools, transforming the landscape of homecare and hospital examinations. Through collaborative efforts with clinicians, researchers, and industry partners, Lin has published several influential papers and secured patents. His research contributions have been recognized by many renowned media reports, including CNN, NIH Director’s Blog, and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.