Intelligent Patch Could Monitor Drug Delivery

Apr-02-14 A new electronic skin patch able to monitor muscle movement could determine when it is time to deliver its payload of medicine, and could prove particularly beneficial to patients with epilepsy or Parkinson's disease.

Although there are other adhesive medical patches in development already, this one is the first that is able to both store data and deliver drugs. The small, flexible polymer patch—still in the prototype stage—has been equipped with multiple layers of nanomembranes and nanoparticles. These layers include silicon nanomembranes that monitor motion and strain, chromium and gold nanowires that function and heaters and temperature sensors and silica nanoparticles that have been loaded with drugs.

When the strain sensors detect a tremor-like motion, the patch will activate its internal heater, which triggers the release of the drugs. The temperature sensor ensures the heater does not get warm enough to burn the patient's skin. Currently, the device requires the use of a microprocessor from an external computer (which could be contained in a wristwatch), but the team hopes to eventually incorporate all the needed components into the patch itself.

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