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Engineers develop one-of-a-kind device to monitor health

University of Arizona 3D printed wireless wearable device
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TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucker Stuart has always been interested in technology.

"As cliche as it may sound, I want to try to improve the world in some fashion," said Stuart.

That dream is no longer too far off. As a doctoral student at the University of Arizona, Stuart joined a team of engineers and helped create a device that could change the way we monitor our health.

"We wanted to create devices that allow us to capture important information about your health 24/7," said University of Arizona Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor, Philipp Gutruf.

The devices are made with a 3D printer. They're designed to wear all hours of the day and night. Gutruf said they act as a second layer of skin.

"These devices get powered via power casting. We have this infrastructure that you put next to your desk or your bed. It recharges the device and it just runs 24/7," said Gutruf.

When worn, the device collects and stores detailed information about your health. Gutruf believes the technology could issue diagnoses in a more efficient way.

"We just put it on, send you home, the device does its job, we come and analyze the data afterwards and you get your diagnosis," said Gutruf.

The device is currently being tested in a clinical trial. Developers have big plans for how it could be used in the future.

"We want to step out of the clinic and do this in an at-home setting. This is really the first step in a longer process," said Gutruf.

This story was originally reported by Megan Meier on KGUN9.com.