This new smart watch displays blood flow inside the body

Researchers at the Southern University of Science and Technology in China have developed a smart watch with photoacoustic capabilities that could offer healthcare applications. Photoacoustic imaging systems will provide a high-resolution image of the body, but these devices are very bulky and cannot be portable.

According to Tekna Technology News Service, researchers have now developed a small version of this device in just one hour, and the main device is placed inside a backpack with the weight of a 5-month-old baby. This simple device can be considered a non-invasive method to measure heart function. Usually, photoacoustic imaging with the possibility of penetrating tissues up to a depth of 2 to 3 cm will allow scanning of blood vessels and estimation of blood oxygen levels. It is also used to diagnose skin diseases and cancer.

In describing his new system, Li Shi, the author of the study, says: Photoacoustic imaging is very sensitive to hemodynamic changes, and there are problems in miniaturizing the imaging interface, which will not allow the development of wearable devices. But the manufactured device is the first wearable photoacoustic device that can have various applications.

The device consists of a handheld computer imaging interface and a backpack that houses the laser and power supply. This 7 kg backpack is designed to allow the user to move freely.

The adjustable laser focus in this device will enable the imaging of multi-layered structures such as the skin and can image the tiny blood vessels in the skin in a field of view with a diameter of about 3 mm. The testing of this device was done in different conditions such as walking or temporarily blocking the blood flow in the arm. According to the researchers, these tests determined that the desired system was usable enough and due to the compression, it could provide free movement of the person.