back to article Temporary printable tattoos could be the future of EEGs

Eggheads in the US are said to have created an easier, faster, and just-as-reliable but much cooler way to measure brain activity than the bulky, wire-ridden caps used today: Printable, temporary "e-tattoos." Brain activity is measured with electroencephalograms (EEGs), common tests used to help diagnose conditions such as …

  1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    Interesting tech

    So, what's the security on this ? Are you going to be broadcasting your brainwaves for anyone to read them ?

    I have to wash my hair every morning. What's the impact of that going to be ?

    And how long do you need to read an EEG anyway ?

    1. Filippo Silver badge

      Re: Interesting tech

      I'm going to take a stab at answering, from the towering height of knowing nothing at all.

      >So, what's the security on this ? Are you going to be broadcasting your brainwaves for anyone to read them ?

      I'm fairly sure these are wired. I guess the ends of the printed wires are going to be taped to an actual wire, which goes into a recorder. I can't see wanting to add radio noise to an already-noisy signal.

      >I have to wash my hair every morning. What's the impact of that going to be ?

      You can't wash your hair while wearing these. But, good news! It's okay, because you have to shave nearly-bald anyway. Also, it's just for 24 hours. The exam, that is. Fixing the shaved-nearly-bald thing is going to take longer.

      >And how long do you need to read an EEG anyway ?

      I don't know, but if this works like many other long-duration medical scans, the point is not so much how long it takes to read the EEG, but rather the ability to capture unpredictable and short-lasting events, that could happen at any moment during the day. For example, there are heart exams that involve taking your pulse and pressure continuously for a day, even though those are trivial to measure at any given time.

      1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

        Re: Interesting tech

        "For example, there are heart exams that involve taking your pulse and pressure continuously for a day, even though those are trivial to measure at any given time."

        Also "24 hour" ECGs although given the timing between fitting and handing back our local rust is more like and 18-20 hour ECG. Again, trying to catch transients is a matter of luck.

        As to washing the hair, given the shaved near bald, bit, a mini-vacuum cleaner should be good enough.

    2. Gene Cash Silver badge

      Re: Interesting tech

      > I have to wash my hair every morning. What's the impact of that going to be ?

      Well, you're going to be disappointed when you need cataract surgery. And you will, if you live over 60.

      No water anywhere near the eye for two weeks. Unless you're willing to live with a 50-50 chance of going blind.

      1. DS999 Silver badge

        Re: Interesting tech

        So can you wear swim goggles while showering?

      2. VerySlowData
        Thumb Up

        Re: Interesting tech

        I had my cataracts done abt 20 years ago, there wasn't any particular injunction about face washing (and you have the eye being done bandaged up for a day anyway, when you go back to the hospital and the opthalmologist removes the dressing and you can see properly!)

        This was the Fred Hollowes style of intraocular lens replacement where they put a cannula in the side of the eye, (you are more or less awake for this!) ultrasonic emulsification of the cloudy lens, suction all the bits out of the lens sac than popin a rolled up replacement plastic lens which unwinds into position, bobs your uncle, you can see again!!!

        If you have cataracts, definitely recommended!

    3. TRT

      Re: Interesting tech

      Tin foil hat should do the trick.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Interesting tech

      "So, what's the security on this ? Are you going to be broadcasting your brainwaves for anyone to read them ?"

      It's been done to some people, without consent, for quite some time. But it isn't tattoo related. And can steal ideas and technology remotely from scientists.

  2. that one in the corner Silver badge

    Rejoice, Peter F. Hamilton readers

    One step towards having your tattoos talking to your e-butler.

  3. Roland6 Silver badge

    Definitely proof of concept gear.

    From the video, a concern must be the amount of vibration in both the print head and patient’s seat. This probably explains why the video doesn’t show the drawing of the interconnects.

    Given the number of people with bald heads, I would have thought an initial system could be sold that actually prints biodegradable tattoos, This would permit resolution of the basic equipment build quality and operation.

    1. cyberdemon Silver badge

      Re: Definitely proof of concept gear.

      That may be deliberate, i.e. 'dithering' to prevent hairs from sytematically blocking the gel spray. If they wobble both the spray and the patient a bit, then it doesn't matter if the hair blocks some spray particles.

      > this technique won’t work well – or perhaps at all – on longer-haired individuals. Lu told the University of Texas that fixing that is next on the team's to-do list, and that robotic fingers or combs could be incorporated into the printer to separate hair in target areas.

      I would have thought that a compressed air jet would do better for separating hair around a point, but what do I know i'm just a commentard.

      1. gnasher729 Silver badge

        Re: Definitely proof of concept gear.

        They might hire the nearest professional hair dresser as a consultant. Or get someone in who removes hair from your head with minimal damage 15 minutes before you get the tattoo.

      2. MachDiamond Silver badge

        Re: Definitely proof of concept gear.

        "this technique won’t work well – or perhaps at all – on longer-haired individuals."

        IDK about that. A very narrow shaving for the pad and trace could be covered up by longer hair and hidden after the procedure by the surrounding hair so there would be little need to go full Kojak/Dwayne Johnson/Sinéad O'Connor.

        It might also make for a very unique style. Way back in my twenties when my hair would grow almost visibly, I did some hair modeling and often had extreme doos. Being an EE, having circuitry cut in, might be on-brand.

    2. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: Definitely proof of concept gear.

      Note that the video is speeded up x4. You're looking at the patient's breathing.

  4. that one in the corner Silver badge

    Possible lack of cross-discipline consultation?

    This is definitely a Good Thing (both for direct patient application and research, especially if - when? - cost reductions occur as the tech is moved from research to daily application).

    But, it was a bit of a surprise the way the article suggests that they haven't included target tracking from the very beginning.

    Creating an algorithm to calculate the target positions on the complex shape of a skull is obviously required, and good job solving it. However, once you have the 3D description, including things like the angles required for the effector to be - effective, isn't passing that through a tracking and retargeting layer a pretty well solved problem these days? If the piece had said that they were refining such a layer would be one thing, but the implication is that they have not started it - and are just thinking about one of the possible methods, visual tracking.

    Which makes me wonder if their roboticists could have been chatting with a few other groups besides the precision mechanics guys.

    1. Anonymous Coward Silver badge
      Boffin

      Re: Possible lack of cross-discipline consultation?

      I suspect it's more that they've done the proof of concept work and now need to refine it. Refining it has a clear first step - target tracking (and second step: hair styling). To do that they want/need more funding, so announce this giant step now and secure funding for the next stage.

  5. TRT

    Probably be more suited...

    to ECG, to be honest. The shaving would be less noticeable.

    EEG will be superseded by something akin to SQUIDS before too long. It's only holding out as long as it is due to the super cooling SQUIDS requires which complicates the equipment required.

    1. Francis Boyle

      Are we talking about

      superconducting quantum interference devices? Because I don't fancy having a cephalopod on my head and while they are smart creatures I don't they can be trained for this kind of work. And good luck getting it past an ethics board.

      Folks: please define your acronyms!

  6. Bebu sa Ware
    Unhappy

    The video was oddly disturbing

    Watching my brain was anxiously wondering whether Space Karen could arrange for the robot to slip in a couple of neuralink electrodes as a free "upgrade."

    Probably more money in a robot that could remove permanent tatoos.

    1. TRT

      Re: The video was oddly disturbing

      Full data spike?

  7. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    I suppose soldering the wides onto the electrodes is the next thing to solve.

    1. MachDiamond Silver badge

      "I suppose soldering the wides onto the electrodes is the next thing to solve."

      Conductive epoxy might be better than a Weller WSD50 with an 800F tip.

  8. PRR Silver badge

    Obviously this is just a PoC for publicity.

    Some very obvious optimizations:

    Nail/strap the printer to the head so it moves with the wiggly patient. (Spastics may have special need for such study.) Also shortens the range needed.

    I don't see these "wires" and it seems to me they could be routed by hand: a 9-contact plug with 9 free ends shoved into the black glops.

    For that matter: what is the 3D printer doing that I can't do with a paint-pot and brush? We can project Xmas stars onto a house, why not a head? A little tracking of earlobes and pupils, it has to be as accurate as those huge blobs.

    1. Anonymous Coward Silver badge
      Boffin

      The consistency will have an advantage over a blob of conductive paint applied by hand. Knowing the resistance of each "wire" allows more precise interpretation of data.

      Although I must admit I'm concerned that the "wires" will act the same as the electrodes and will thus get interference from other parts of the brain - taking those traces away from the head would be an advantage from that perspective.

  9. Phones Sheridan Silver badge

    Why don’t we just have a standard cap that can be fitted to everyone when they reach adulthood? A simple procedure to last a lifetime. They could even be applied by mobile fitting stations travelling through the country on 3 legs. Come to think of it, we could use the same cap to send impulses down into the brain to counter aggression, curiosity and creativity!

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