Researchers make medical wearable using a pencil and paper

Team Udayavani, Jul 14, 2020, 4:01 PM IST

Researchers have used a combination of pencils and paper to create an on-skin bioelectronic wearable device

A team of researchers at the University of Missouri has published a study that details how they used the tool to create bioelectric monitoring wearables.

It is said that the pencils with cores made from more than 90 percent graphite conduct a significant amount of energy when you use them to write on office supply paper.

The graphite can double as a sensing electrode, while the paper provides a flexible supporting structure. The team found pencils with 93 percent graphite content worked the best.

The researchers claim that paper and pencils seem to be readily available and are relatively inexpensive. Also there are environmental benefits as they tend to degrade faster compared to plastic.