A group of engineers from PragMatic Semiconductor, together with colleagues from Harvard University and Qamcom, has developed a unique flexible programmable 32-bit RISC-V microprocessor that does not use silicon. The results of their research were published in the scientific the journal Nature.
The new development can make a real revolution in the field of medical technology. A flexible microprocessor will allow you to create sensors that can work continuously for 24 hours and at the same time be attached to any part of the patient’s body for constant monitoring of vital indicators.
The main feature of the new device is an inexpensive printed circuit board, which can be bent around almost any curved object. Instead of traditional hard silicon, engineers used India-Galli-Tsinka oxide. Tests showed that a flat sample can be wrapped around a pencil without any damage.
The developers called their brainchild FLEX-RV. So far, demonstration chips have a nucleus size of 17.5 square millimeters and contain 12,600 logical valves. This limits their speed of up to 60 kHz. Although such a processor is not suitable for complex calculations, its power is more than enough for processing such indicators as heart rate or body temperature.
The important advantage of FLEX-RV is low energy consumption – only 6 MW. In addition, according to the calculations of developers, the cost of the production of one processor can amount to only $1. That is, the device can actually be made disposable, which is very convenient for medicine.
Tests confirmed: the processor is able to work, being bent in various configurations. Researchers see the perfect use of their development in the form of an ECG-plastic, which can be placed on the patient’s chest. Such a device, equipped with electrodes, will be able to read the characteristics of the heartbeat, allowing doctors to track arrhythmias and other diseases. It is important to note that due to the location of the processor directly on the patient’s body, there is no need for external data processing.