This ultra-compact wearable blood flow sensor was created by a research group from Kyushu and Tokyo Universities.

“We’ve developed the world’s first blood flow sensor that can take measurements while you move. Until now, blood flow sensors weighed 2-3 kg, and they needed a 100 V power supply. We’ve made a wireless, ultra-compact, low-power version.”

This sensor can detect dehydration in real time by measuring blood flow while a person is running. It can also be used for health monitoring, preventative medicine and detecting alcohol consumption. This ultra-compact sensor head was made using MEMS technology.

“Another good thing about this blood flow sensor is, it can measure blood pressure as well. So it provides a wearable means of checking blood pressure, and we think these multiple capabilities make it extremely useful. So it might be interesting to make this sensor even smaller, and get data when it’s attached in different places, like an ear, the forehead, or a finger.”

Having access to this sort of information through a wearable sensor is expected to lead to new breakthroughs in various fields. The research group has already made a prototype blood flow sensor for chickens.

“When chickens get bird flu, their blood flow slows down. Their circulation gets so sluggish, it makes taking blood samples difficult. With this sensor, bird flu can be detected at an early stage. Another use for the sensor is in cattle. Among Japan’s various agricultural industries, it’s famous for producing high quality beef. But mass production is needed for that to be economically viable. We think this blood flow sensor could be used to monitor the reproductive cycle of cattle, to enable mass production of quality beef. We’ve already started a project to use it throughout pregnancy, up until cows give birth.”

“In fact, by making the sensor wearable, we’ve been able to obtain lots of data that couldn’t be obtained before. But a certain volume of data is needed; people don’t trust data unless there are a couple of hundred examples. We’ve also been slow to publish peer-reviewed results. But if we publish plenty, I think Japanese businesses will want to use this sensor.”

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