MORPHEUS

The MORPHEUS (MOdular Reconfigurable Platform for Health and Environmental Universal Sensing) project is developing a wearable patch capable of integrating various sensors that, in the future, could enable continuous monitoring of physiological and biochemical parameters, such as blood pressure, temperature, glucose and cortisol, in hospitalised patients.

MORPHEUS was developed in response to the European call for Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for conformable, flexible or stretchable electronics and as part of the European partnership Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe (IAM4EU). The call called for the development of innovative advanced materials, including 2D materials, with improved properties in terms of flexibility, adaptability and elasticity. These materials could enable new applications in flexible electronics, i.e., bendable and conformable electronic devices designed to adapt to non-rigid surfaces, such as the human body.

Compared to traditional materials, 2D materials are extremely thin and stretch in two dimensions (length and width). This results in unique properties, such as high mechanical strength and high thermal and electrical conductivity, making them particularly versatile. These types of materials were at the heart of the JANUS BI project (All-liquid phase JANUS BIdimensional materials for functional nano-architectures and assemblies), coordinated by Professor Gatti and supported by a starting grant from the European Research Council (ERC) and the related Proof of Concept project HYSENS - HYbrid hydrogels based on 2D materials and conducting polymers for piezoresistive SENSing, which had already led to the development of advanced sensors for this type of application.

The vision opened by MORPHEUS is to develop high-performance wearable devices for continuous patient monitoring, capable of improving well-being and the quality of care in the future, while ensuring constant and highly precise measurement of important vital signs. This development could foster the spread of personalised medicine and, at the same time, contribute to making hospital services more efficient and sustainable, reducing hospital costs and improving the services offered.

"MORPHEUS was born with the ambition of transforming the way we monitor patient health, enabling continuous, precise and non-invasive measurement of physiological parameters. The integration of innovative materials and flexible electronics opens up new possibilities for increasingly personalised and efficient medicine. The strength of this project lies in the highly interdisciplinary and international nature of the consortium, which allows us to address complex challenges in an integrated manner, from advanced materials to clinical validation. This approach is essential for translating scientific results into technologies that can truly be transferred to the healthcare system,” states Professor Teresa Gatti of the Polytechnic University of Turin.