For most people, monitoring blood pressure still means winding a cuff around the arm — whether in a healthcare setting or at home — and waiting for the squeeze as it inflates and then deflates to reveal a blood pressure reading. And even then, the reading is merely a moment in time and not a continual monitoring of blood pressure, which can and typically does frequently change throughout the day.

Now there is good news on the horizon regarding the ability to continuously monitor blood pressure. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Texas University have developed a noninvasive solution for continuous blood pressure monitoring at home — in the form of a temporary tattoo.

The newly designed electronic tattoo is made with carbon, which is considered one of the strongest — and thinnest — materials in the world. The composition of graphene is similar to the graphite used in pencils, but when graphene is used as a temporary tattoo, it provides a waterproof way to measure the skin's electrical currents and the body's response to changes in blood volume. Prototypes of the electronic tattoo can be worn for up to a week to provide continuous blood pressure readings.

The use of carbon has proven instrumental in the temporary tattoo's ability to accurately gather blood pressure data. Unlike, for example, the UV-monitoring temporary tattoos already on the market, carbon is so thin that it can eliminate the movement-caused data deterioration that can come with thicker tattoos that don't adhere as easily to the skin.