Armband to detect patient’s temperature

A flexible armband has been developed that sounds an alarm when the wearer runs a temperature. The self-powered “fever alarm” provides an audible warning when a thermal sensor detects a pre-set body temperature of 36.5 to 38.5C.

Normal body temperature varies but on average is around 37C. The new device designed by Japanese engineers combines a flexible silicon solar panel, piezoelectric speaker, temperature sensor and organic power supply circuit.

It was presented at the 2015 IEEE International Solid State Circuits Conference this week in San Francisco, US. Professor Takao Someya, from the University of Tokyo, said:

“Our fever alarm armband demonstrates that it is possible to produce flexible, disposable devices that can greatly enhance the amount of information available to carers in healthcare settings.

“We have demonstrated the technology with a temperature sensor and fever alarm, but the system could also be adapted to provide audible feedback on body temperature, or combined with other sensors to register wetness, pressure or heart rate.”