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Japanese researchers have created what could represent the future of wearable health technology – an innovative ‘living skin’ implant that emits a green glow to alert users when illness may be imminent.
The cutting-edge implant tracks internal biomarkers – proteins that signal inflammation, stress, or disease – and illuminates when it detects any abnormalities.
Rather than relying on a smartwatch to monitor your wellbeing, you could have a skin graft providing a constant visual indication of your body’s internal state around the clock. Researchers from Tokyo City University and the University of Tokyo, working alongside engineers from RIKEN and Canon Medical Systems, have created a living sensor display and trialled it on mice.
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Prof Hiroyuki Fujita, who participated in the study, explained: “Conventional approaches are often invasive or provide only snapshots in time.”
“Our goal was to explore a biologically integrated system that enables continuous sensing and intuitive interpretation, even at home.”
Since the sensor is constructed from living epidermal stem cells, the research team explains it is sustained through the skin’s natural regeneration process. Therefore, no batteries are required.
Prof Fujita continued: “Unlike conventional devices that require power sources or periodic replacement, this system is biologically maintained by the body itself.
“In our experiments, the sensor functionality was preserved for over 200 days, as the engineered stem cells continuously regenerated the epidermis.”
The scientists suggest the technology could extend beyond human healthcare applications, potentially benefiting animal research and veterinary medicine, where visual health indicators might help identify illness earlier in creatures that cannot communicate their symptoms.
