A thin, stretchy patch of plastic carrying electronic circuitry can stick to skin like a temporary tattoo and be used to record heart rate, brain activity and muscle contractions.

This 'electronic skin', developed by John Rogers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his team, consists of components including sensors and antennae, sandwiched between two protective layers. It is powered by embedded solar cells or inductive coils that can generate current wirelessly. The sandwich sits on a flexible sheet of modified silicone designed to match the physical properties of skin.

The authors hope that the device, which is less than 40 micrometres thick, will one day replace wires and large equipment for health monitoring.

Credit: J. A. ROGERS

Science 333, 838–843 (2011)