New industry partnerships focus on enhancing state workforce, innovation

two people loading a sample in a lab

The Materials Characterization Lab (MCL), part of the Materials Research Institute (MRI) at Penn State, is partnering with two Pennsylvania companies to leverage the University’s shared research infrastructure for industrial innovation with practical applications and workforce training. The new projects are in collaboration with AGC Chemicals Americas and Avery Dennison, and they are funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Manufacturing PA Innovation Program.

Novel biogel may solve a hairy problem for wearable brain-monitoring systems

EEG electrodes are placed through hair during testing of a biogel designed by Penn State researchers to improve contact with the scalp for wearable brain-monitoring systems. The reusable material softens with gentle heat, reaches the skin and gels again as it cools.

By Jamie Oberdick

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A vital tool for healthcare practitioners, electroencephalography (EEG) systems measure electrical activity in the brain through electrodes placed on the scalp, but getting reliable readings can be surprisingly difficult. Hair interferes with contact between the electrodes and skin, and the gels used to improve those connections often dry out over time, weakening signal quality.

Stretchy implants could stick to arteries to treat high blood pressure

image of a sensor on a finger

High blood pressure, formally known as hypertension, is a leading cause of heart disease in the United States, impacting nearly half of all adults. Approximately one in 10 of these patients experience drug-resistant hypertension that can be difficult to address, but according to researchers at Penn State, tiny devices that gently shock one of the body's most critical arteries could offer effective treatment.