Flexible patch performs like a wearable Tricorder - CNET

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A new device in development and described in the joual Nature Communications by researchers at UC San Diego could provide health information in real-time. The flexible patch is designed to be wo on the chest to monitor electrocardiogram heart signals and levels of the biochemical lactate, which indicates activity levels. It can then transmit that information wirelessly to a smartphone, smart watch, tablet or PC.

It's still in prototype stages, but it already shows promise as a multi-purpose device. Most of the current health-monitoring wearables only track one thing, and almost none track chemical signatures.

The patch itself is made using screen-printing techniques, with a lactate-sensing electrode printed directly into the centre, with an EKG electrode on either side. The team then tested it on three male subjects, who exercised while wearing it. The data collected by the patch was consistent with data collected by heart-rate wearables the subjects also wore, and previous studies on lactate production. The next step in the research is to add sensors for other chemical markers.