A new review article on wearable ultrasound sensing systems, led by researchers from the MSE Lab at TU Bergakademie Freiberg, has been published in IEEE.

Wearable ultrasound is emerging as a powerful technology for continuous and high-resolution monitoring of physiological signals and human motion in applications ranging from healthcare and rehabilitation to industrial human–machine interaction. However, translating promising laboratory prototypes into practical and scalable systems remains a significant challenge.

In the review, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art in wearable ultrasound technologies, with a particular focus on the system-level design challenges that often limit real-world deployment. The paper analyzes recent advances in micromachined ultrasound transducers, conformable electronics, low-power signal processing, and edge artificial intelligence.

Beyond reviewing individual technological components, the article examines complete system architectures and key design trade-offs, including pulse–echo versus coded signal approaches and edge versus cloud-based processing. The authors also discuss technology readiness, scalability, and economic viability, highlighting the importance of modular, reusable system platforms for accelerating the transition from research prototypes to practical applications.

The work was carried out in close collaboration with international partners from medicine, integrated circuit design, and biomedical engineering, reflecting the strongly interdisciplinary nature of wearable ultrasound research.

The publication represents an important step toward system-oriented design methodologies for wearable ultrasound devices, which are expected to play a growing role in next-generation biomedical monitoring systems.

The article is available here:
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11418920