New Chest Patch Tracks Hidden Stress Using Real-Time Body Signals
Researchers develop wearable chest patch that tracks physiological signals to detect hidden stress in real time.
Scientists have developed a lightweight, bandage-like chest patch capable of tracking hidden stress by continuously monitoring multiple physiological signals from the body, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances.
The wearable device is designed to adhere gently to the chest and function as a “polygraph-like” system that captures a wide range of biological indicators in real time. These include heart activity, breathing patterns, skin temperature, sweat response, and blood flow. Researchers say the combined signals provide a comprehensive picture of how the body responds to stress, even before a person becomes consciously aware of it.
The study was conducted by researchers from Northwestern University in the United States and Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea. Lead researcher John A. Rogers, a professor of materials science and biomedical engineering at Northwestern University, said the goal was to create a non-invasive system that captures physiological stress responses without relying on chemical analysis of body fluids.
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Unlike traditional polygraph or sleep-monitoring systems, which often depend on bulky wired equipment and laboratory settings, the new device is lightweight—under eight grams—and flexible enough to move naturally with the skin. It integrates tiny sensors along with a motion detector and miniature microphone to capture subtle mechanical and acoustic signals from the heart and lungs.
Additional sensors measure skin temperature, heat flow, and changes in electrical conductivity linked to sweat gland activity, a well-known indicator of stress. The collected data is transmitted wirelessly to smartphones or other devices, where machine learning algorithms analyze stress patterns in real time.
Researchers say the device has potential applications in clinical monitoring, mental health assessment, and sleep disorder diagnosis. It could also help detect stress in patients who are unable to communicate effectively, such as infants or elderly individuals. Early tests in controlled and real-world environments showed that the patch’s readings closely matched those of commercial polygraph systems and other established stress indicators.
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