Specialty Fabrics Review August 2022 - 17

Researchers unveil a smarter
dissolving pacemaker
N
orthwestern University scientists have
unveiled a new, smart version of the
transient pacemaker introduced just one year
ago. The implantable, wireless device dissolves
in the body after it's no longer needed, and now
has a coordinated network of four soft, flexible,
wireless, wearable sensors and control units
placed around the upper body.
The sensors continuously monitor body
temperature, oxygen levels, respiration, muscle
tone, physical activity and the heart's electrical activity. The system can
then analyze this combined activity to autonomously detect abnormal
cardiac rhythms and decide when to pace the heart and at what rate.
The information is streamed to a smartphone or tablet, so physicians
can remotely monitor their patients.
The new device can be used in patients who need temporary pacing
after cardiac surgery or are waiting for a permanent pacemaker. The
pacemaker also wirelessly harvests energy from a node within the
network, which eliminates the need for external hardware, including
wires (or leads).
The work was led by Northwestern's John Rogers, Rishi Arora and
Igor R. Efimov. Their study was published in the journal Science.
A wearable for cows among
Terra Carta winners
A
PANGAIA and Spiber launch
biofabricated hoodie
M
aterials science company PANGAIA,
based in London, England, introduced
the fourth capsule within PANGAIA Lab,
a limited-edition sweatshirt made in
partnership with Japanese biomaterials
manufacturing group Spiber Inc., featuring
breakthrough biotech Brewed Protein™
fibers and organic cotton.
Spiber's Brewed Protein materials are
made from plant-derived biomass and a
proprietary fermentation process that produces a biological building
block that can be sculpted for different applications. The polymers can
be transformed into a variety of forms, from delicate filament fibers
with a silky sheen, to spun yarns that have cashmere-like softness,
or the thermal and moisture-wicking properties of wool.
Large-scale production is expected to produce significantly lower
greenhouse gas emissions and require less land and water use than
traditional animal-derived fibers such as cashmere.
SpecialtyFabricsReview.com 17
methane-reducing mask for cows
was among the winners in a U.K.
climate solution competition. Prince
Charles and former Apple CDO Jony Ive
recently announced the four winners
of Terra Carta Design Lab, founded to
develop climate crisis solutions. Out of
125 submissions, the wearable device
for cows was one of the four winners.
According to International Energy
Agency (IEA) reports, 1.6 billion cattle,
each exhaling 400 liters of methane
per day, are one of the leading causes
of global warming. The Zero Emissions
Livestock Project (ZELP) has designed
the device to neutralize methane
emissions in real time. As the cow
exhales, methane travels through a
catalyst where it's oxidized, then released
into the air as CO2 and water vapor. The
technology precisely tracks methane
reduction and key data for farmers,
such as welfare, efficiency and fertility
metrics, and the team says the halter
fits comfortably around the cow's head.
http://www.SpecialtyFabricsReview.com
Specialty Fabrics Review August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Specialty Fabrics Review August 2022
