Rubber bands stretch healthcare limit

Irish researchers have found that microscopic sensors placed in a rubber band could enable them to monitor blood pressure or glucose levels — and even allow them to act as an early warning system for cot death.

The Trinity College Dublin team infused the shop-bought rubber bands with graphene, a micro-scopic material derived from pencil lead which is 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

The graphene made the rubber bands electrically conducive and further tests revealed that any electrical current flowing through was strongly affected if the band was stretched. Therefore, if the band is attached to clothing, the tiniest movements such as breath and pulse can be sensed.