Rajasthan: IIT Jodhpur develops flexible sensors for early cancer detection

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology IIT Jodhpur are developing nextgeneration flexible semiconductor devices designed for continuous health monitoring early disease detection and physiological assessment in demanding environmentsThe work is being carried out at the HESTECH Hybrid Electronic Sensor Technologies Lab led by Dr Akshay Moudgil Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering The research focuses on soft flexible and intelligent semiconductor devices capable of monitoring key physiological and biochemical signals from the human body in real timeThese wearable sensors are designed to track parameters such as heart rate muscle activity body temperature and skin pressure while remaining comfortable for prolonged use According to Dr Moudgil the motivation for this work is to address a critical gap in accessible continuous health monitoring He said that many health conditions in India and globally are detected too late because continuous monitoring remains limited outside specialised settingsThe goal is to develop semiconductor devices that can continuously monitor body signals comfortably enabling early detection and timely intervention A key component of this research is the Organic Electrochemical Transistor OECT a class of semiconductor devices suited for interfacing with biological signals and fluids Unlike conventional rigid electronics OECTbased platforms enable both electrical and biochemical sensing in flexible formatsThe HESTECH Lab is developing lowpower wearable sensors using biocompatible hybrid semiconductor materials that can be fabricated on thin flexible substrates This makes them ideal for skinconformal devices that enable continuous noninvasive monitoringDr Moudgil explained that the team is exploring whether a single semiconductor platform can capture both the electrical activity of the body and biochemical signatures linked to disease Using OECT technology they are building compact flexible devices to monitor heart activity muscle response and diseaserelated biomarkersOne major application area is early disease screening The team is developing biochemical sensors capable of detecting clinically relevant biomarkers in biofluids such as saliva serum and blood In the future such portable systems could support pointofcare diagnostics in dental clinics rural health camps and mobile healthcare unitsIn parallel the lab is working on wearable sensors for physical health monitoring including soft ECG patches for cardiac assessment EMG sensors for muscle activity tracking and pressure and temperature sensors to detect early signs of pressure ulcers in atrisk patientsThe technology also holds significant promise for defence and extremeenvironment applications Flexible semiconductor sensors could be integrated into uniforms or wearable patches to monitor physiological stress indicators such as cardiac load dehydration fatigue heat stress and muscle strain during training or field operationsDr Moudgil noted that in defence environments such devices could enable realtime physiological monitoring of personnel supporting better decisionmaking reducing stressrelated injuries and enhancing mission readiness He added that IIT Jodhpur aims to ensure that innovation translates into realworld impact and semiconductorbased wearable technologies could create a future where health monitoring is continuous comfortable and intelligentWith continued research and translational development this technology has the potential to significantly improve access to diagnostics enable preventive healthcare and deliver advanced monitoring solutions for both civilian and defence applicationsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever