Wireless
solar radiation sensors may improve skin treatments
US-based researchers have created wireless, battery-free sensors that can monitor exposure to solar radiation and ultraviolet (UV) light in real time and could help to optimise light treatments for skin conditions. The research was announced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
High exposure to UV light can result in an increased risk of
melanoma and other skin cancers, which together cost over $8.1bn a year in the
US and are expected to reach epidemic proportions in the country, AAAS said.
The sensors could aid in warning people of over-exposure to UV light and the
associated risks.
Light exposure can also be therapeutic and the use of blue
light therapy has become a standard-of-care treatment for infants with
jaundice, which affects 50% to 60% of infants who are born prematurely.
According to the researchers, the sensor devices have already successfully
monitored light exposure in infants undergoing blue light therapy for this
condition.
Current UV monitoring devices are said to have various
drawbacks such as limited battery life hindering their broader use. To tackle
these issues, one of the lead researchers of the study, Seung Yun Heo, and his
colleagues aimed to create a low-cost technology that consists of flexible,
adherent sensors that can monitor various forms of radiation. The device they
created features a system-on-a-chip design, which allows wireless,
smartphone-based access to an individual’s sensor-read solar exposure data.
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Source: Verdict Medical Device