In addition to heart monitoring, the technology can be adjusted to monitor muscle signals and eye movements. In the future, it could be used to detect brain and nerve fiber signals.

The EPS research team, based in the University of Sussex’s School of Engineering and Design, is lead by Robert Prance, professor of sensor technology. “These sensors are the result of a sustained research program at Sussex,” says Prance. “For the first time we are able to detect electrical signals from the body passively, without making physical contact, and in familiar environments such as the home or hospital.”

The team has gained grant funding from the South East Health Technology Alliance to work on developing the technology for home use, in collaboration with the firm PassivSystems (Newbury, Berkshire, UK). Their goal is to determine how the sensors can enable elderly or frail patients to live independently.