Liquid metal may point way to wearable ultrasound devices

March 22, 2024

A rendering of a stretchable ultrasound device designed by Husker engineers.
A rendering of a stretchable ultrasound device designed by Husker engineers.
Adapted from a figure in Advanced Functional Materials

A team of Nebraska engineers - including Eric Markvicka, Ethan Krings, Greg Bashford and Ben Hage - developed liquid metal droplets with special stretching properties that can be integrated into a wearable ultrasound device prototype.

When presented with a moving object that simulated the motion of a heart valve or other tissue, the prototype successfully registered that movement, demonstrating its potential as a diagnostic device. The engineers envision the device being used to continuously monitor myriad things in the human body, including the health of a fetus, blood flow or the rhythms of the heart.

Read more about this project in Nebraska Today's latest edition of Pocket Science.