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By combining expertise in nanomaterials and ultrasound technology, researchers Shirin Movaghgharnezhad and Parag Chitnis are redefining how clinicians image the human body. They have developed a novel, wearable ultrasound patch, an innovation that replaces rigid, handheld probes with a soft, adaptable device designed for continuous monitoring.
While conventional ultrasound systems are typically bulky and require manual operation, “our flexible transducer is designed to conform to the body through a scalable, laser-printed fabrication approach,” a research assistant professor in bioengineering. This is an important step toward long-term or continuous monitoring.
The team’s work has steadily gained recognition in the scientific community, with publications in two prestigious academic journals this year. The first paper, featured as a cover story in Materials & Design, highlights the significance of their breakthrough. A follow-up study in Advanced Materials Technologies expands on the initial findings.
For Professor Chitnis, the project represents more than a new device. “Fundamentally what our team has been able to accomplish is to change the paradigm of how ultrasound sensors and transducers are actually produced,” he said. Rather than relying on rigid, brittle materials, the new approach prints transducers on flexible substrates that can be worn like a patch, enabling imaging during movement and over extended periods.
The device’s flexibility is made possible through a novel combination of materials, said Movaghgharnezhad, whose background is in nanomaterials, flexible device fabrication, and sensor development. She integrated laser-printed porous graphene, a conductive nanomaterial, with a soft piezoelectric polymer that generates ultrasound waves. The porous structure allows the piezopolymer to partially penetrate the graphene, like honey would seep into a cupcake, she explained. The result is a strong bond that maintains performance even after extensive use.
The device’s durability opens the door to practical applications that conventional ultrasound cannot achieve, such as continuous monitoring, said Chitnis. The patch could one day be worn to track muscle activity during rehabilitation, monitor blood flow, or even assess wound healing over time.
Equally important is the device’s scalability and cost-effectiveness. The laser fabrication process allows rapid patterning of graphene into customizable shapes, producing patches that may cost less than five dollars each, said Movaghgharnezhad. This affordability makes disposable, single-use ultrasound patches a realistic possibility, which would simplify clinical workflows and reduce contamination risks.
Ultimately, the partnership between Movaghgharnezhad and Chitnis exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary research at George Mason. By uniting materials science and bioengineering, they are advancing a future where medical imaging is not confined to the clinic but is seamlessly integrated into everyday life.