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A research team at DGIST, led by Professor Kyung-In Jang, has unveiled a groundbreaking smart patch capable of both real-time health monitoring and automatic drug delivery. This innovative technology, recently published in Nature Communications, integrates biometric sensors and a drug delivery system within a foldable structure, marking a significant leap forward in wearable medical devices.
The patch offers real-time cardiovascular health monitoring, tracking vital signals such as electrocardiograms and blood flow. More impressively, it can deliver drugs automatically based on the user’s biometric data, allowing for personalized and timely treatment. This smart patch can potentially revolutionize how we manage chronic diseases, pain relief, and conditions like diabetes.
As the global population ages, the demand for personalized healthcare solutions is rapidly increasing. The need for wearable devices that not only monitor health but also provide instant interventions is more critical than ever. However, current devices often face limitations, offering either health monitoring or drug delivery, but rarely both in a single compact form.
To overcome these challenges, Professor Jang’s team developed the smart patch, which combines electrical and optical biometric sensors, a drug delivery system, and a wireless communication module—all within a flexible and foldable unit. This multifunctional design ensures stability and efficiency while maintaining a thin profile, ideal for wearability.
In experiments, the team demonstrated the patch’s ability to accurately measure heart rate variability and pulse transit time, providing crucial insights into cardiovascular health. The integrated drug delivery system was successfully triggered by the real-time health data, allowing for seamless and timely intervention.
“The integration of real-time health monitoring with automated drug delivery in this smart patch offers immense potential for improving patient care,” said Professor Jang. “It has wide-ranging applications in areas like blood pressure management, glucose control, pain relief, and chronic disease management.”
The research team is now focusing on advancing this technology into a comprehensive intelligent healthcare platform, poised to address a variety of medical needs. The smart patch could soon play a pivotal role in the future of personalized healthcare, offering patients not just monitoring, but also treatment, in one wearable device.
For more details, refer to the study Vialess Heterogeneous Skin Patch for Multimodal Monitoring and Stimulation, published in Nature Communications (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-55951-6).
Disclaimer: The smart patch technology described in this article is still in development. While experimental results have been promising, further research and clinical trials are needed to fully assess its safety and effectiveness in real-world medical applications. Always consult healthcare professionals for medical advice and treatment.
