Scientists at the Riken, a major Japanese research institute, and University of Tokyo have developed a remarkable ambient light-powered cardiac monitor that looks like a transparent bandage.
The underlying technology makes possible other flexible body-worn sensors that don’t need to have an external electric source powering them, including temperature and sweat sensors. Because power is supplied directly from a built-in photovoltaic cell, the noise in the electronics is kept to a minimum, allowing for high-precision measurements.