VOA标准英语2011--'Electronic' Skin Monitors Heart, Brain

'Electronic' Skin Monitors Heart, Brain Function

U.S. researchers have developed a stretchy, ultra-thin, self-adhesive¹ material that contains miniature electronics to monitor heart activity, brain waves and muscle movement.
According to scientists, the new stretchy skin technology, epidermal² electronics system (EES), is able to monitor key body functions without the use of cumbersome³ wires and glues since it attaches to the skin without adhesive.
The material bends, wrinkles and stretches with all the properties of skin. Yet it contains an array of electronic components⁴ that can measure everything from heart rate to brain waves. The so-called “smart” skin is powered by a solar cell.
It was developed by scientists at the University of Illinois, Northwestern University in Illinois, Tufts University in Massachusetts, the Institute of High Performance Computing⁵ in Singapore and Dalian University of Technology in China.
John Rogers, professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is the project’s lead researcher. He says the electronically-embedded material, which can be placed anywhere on the body, is no thicker than a human hair and is difficult to handle. But they figured out a way around the problem.
“The way that we actually mount these devices on the skin uses ideas borrowed directly from kids’ temporary transfer tattoos⁶," says Rogers, "which is that the device is so floppy⁷, and flexible and skin-like that you can’t mechanically manipulate them effectively. You grab them on one edge and they kind of collapse⁸ and crumple⁹ under their own weight.”
So the researchers mounted the “smart” skins onto thin, water soluble¹⁰ polymer backings. After the epidermal electronics device is applied¹¹ face down onto real skin, the backing is rinsed¹² away.
Rogers says researchers even used temporary tattoos as the backing.
"Temporary tattoos are already low cost, the materials have been worked out, the adhesion is good, why not just use that materials technology as a substrate. And oh, by the way, it provides a way to conceal¹³ the electronics to the extent that might be interesting for certain applications.”
Depending on where the “smart” skin is applied, Rogers says it’s possible to monitor the heart’s electrical activity, the contraction¹⁴ of muscles in the arm or the electrical activity of the brain.
“It also turns out that that data can be used as a type of human-machine interface¹⁵ for controlling computer systems, for example. And we demonstrated that concept using electrical activity measured on the throat as the wearer was speaking different words to control a cursor in a simple computer game.”
Researchers say the technology could be helpful to people with neuro-muscular diseases like Lou Gehrig’s disease.

1 adhesive   

n.粘合剂；adj.可粘着的，粘性的

参考例句：

• You'll need a strong adhesive to mend that chair. 你需要一种粘性很强的东西来修理那把椅子。
• Would you give me an adhesive stamp?请给我一枚带胶邮票好吗？

2 epidermal   

adj. [解][生]表皮的，外皮的

参考例句：

• Epidermal growth factor is a single-chain peptide with 53 amino-acid residue. 表皮生长因子(epidermal growth factor EGF)是最初从小鼠的下颌下腺提取的一种含有53个氨基酸残基的单链多肽。
• Telia are dark brown or black, and shine from the intact host epidermal covering. 冬孢子堆呈暗褐色或黑色，覆盖在完整的寄生表皮下显得发亮。

3 cumbersome   

adj.笨重的，不便携带的

参考例句：

• Although the machine looks cumbersome,it is actually easy to use.尽管这台机器看上去很笨重，操作起来却很容易。
• The furniture is too cumbersome to move.家具太笨，搬起来很不方便。

4 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

5 computing   

n.计算

参考例句：

• to work in computing 从事信息处理
• Back in the dark ages of computing, in about 1980, they started a software company. 早在计算机尚未普及的时代（约1980年），他们就创办了软件公司。

6 tattoos   

n.文身( tattoo的名词复数 )；归营鼓；军队夜间表演操；连续有节奏的敲击声v.刺青，文身( tattoo的第三人称单数 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击

参考例句：

• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的胳膊上刺满了花纹。
• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的双臂刺满了纹身。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 floppy   

adj.松软的，衰弱的

参考例句：

• She was wearing a big floppy hat.她戴了顶松软的大帽子。
• Can you copy those files onto this floppy disk?你能把那些文件复制到这张软盘上吗？

8 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

9 crumple   

v.把...弄皱，满是皱痕，压碎，崩溃

参考例句：

• Take care not to crumple your dress by packing it carelessly.当心不要因收放粗心压纵你的衣服。
• The wall was likely to crumple up at any time.墙随时可能坍掉。

10 soluble   

adj.可溶的；可以解决的

参考例句：

• These tablets are soluble in water.这些药片可在水中溶解。
• Camphor is soluble in alcohol.樟脑在酒精中可以溶化。

11 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

12 rinsed   

v.漂洗( rinse的过去式和过去分词 )；冲洗；用清水漂洗掉（肥皂泡等）；（用清水）冲掉

参考例句：

• She rinsed out the sea water from her swimming-costume. 她把游泳衣里的海水冲洗掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The clothes have been rinsed three times. 衣服已经洗了三和。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

14 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

15 interface   

n.接合部位，分界面；v.(使)互相联系

参考例句：

• My computer has a network interface,which allows me to get to other computers.我的计算机有网络接口可以与其它计算机连在一起。
• This program has perspicuous interface and extensive application. 该程序界面明了，适用范围广。