Sweat is a chemical substance rich in molecules. From simple charged ions to more complex protein, these molecules can reveal the internal situation of the human body. Doctors can use sweat to diagnose some diseases, reveal the use of drugs and gain insight into sports performance. John Rogers, a senior author of the study and director of the Center for Biointegrated Electronics at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and a materials scientist, said that sweat collection is also much less invasive than blood. In this new study, scientists embed chemical sensors and other equipment into a soft object, a soft silicone rubber disc, which is about a quarter of the size and thickness, and can easily stick to the skin. The equipment is designed to collect and analyze key biomarkers or health markers in sweat. For example, sensors can show people's reactions to exercise, including whether someone needs to make adjustments, such as drinking more water or replenishing electrolytes. [bionic human: Top 10 technology] KDSP we have developed various thin, soft and soft skin mounting devices in recent years as the next generation wearable technology platform, Rogers told Live Science. Now, we have developed a device that can capture and analyze sweat.
This wearable lab contains "microfluidic technology", and its design principle is very similar to the way microelectronics process electrons. Specifically, the sensor introduces sweat into a compartment with a diameter of about 0. 16 inch (4 mm) along some microchannels with a width of about 0.02 inch (0.5 mm). Rogers said in a statement: "We chose these four biomarkers because they provide characteristic curves related to health status measurement." The equipment can also measure sweating rate and amount, and store samples for subsequent laboratory analysis when necessary.
The chemical reaction in the sensor chamber will lead to a visible change in color, thus showing the level of biomarkers contained in sweat. When the smart phone is close to the sensor, the near field communication technology in the smart phone (the same technology used in mobile payment systems such as Google Wallet and Apple Pay) uses short-range radio waves to power and talk with the electronic devices in the sensor. Then, the electronics in the sensor make the smartphone application take a photo of the sensor, and then the application can analyze the image to calculate the level of biomarkers, the researchers said.
"The sweat analysis platform we developed will allow people to monitor their health on the spot without taking blood samples," Huang Yonggang, an engineering professor at Northwest University and co-author, said in a statement. "Because integrated electronic devices don't need batteries, they can still be wirelessly connected to smartphones.
This is a traditional method to analyze sweat, which captures sweat through the absorption patch attached to the skin and analyzes it. They later left the scene. Instead, Rogers said, this new sensor can analyze sweat in real time, which was developed by other scientists.
Sweat sensors can be worn on the skin. But Rogers said that compared with microfluidic channels, these other sensors still rely on absorbent patches, so they can't analyze the speed of people sweating. In addition, unlike previous sweat sensors, he added that this new device does not need batteries. In the experiment, Rogers, Huang and their colleagues put sensors on the forearms and backs of 265,438+0 healthy volunteers to analyze their sweat. Nine of them rode bicycles indoors in the fitness center under controlled conditions, and another 65,438+02 people took part in the Tucson Tour, a long-distance bicycle race in arid and complicated outdoor conditions.
According to the research of scientists, the data of sensors worn by indoor cyclists are consistent with the data of traditional sweat analysis methods. The sensors on outdoor cyclists also work as expected. Although the desert environment is complex and unpredictable, the sensors still work. In addition, the researchers said that these devices will not cause discomfort or a sense of * * * to all volunteers.
Rogers said the goal is to make the sensor "less than $65,438 +0.50 per device". At this price, we think they can reasonably find a one-time application.
As far as direct commercial applications are concerned, scientists say that they "can see that this device can be used for fitness, health and exercise-for example, athletes can track sweat rate and electrolyte loss," Rogers said. "We also cooperated with a large biomedical equipment company to use these devices to non-invasively track glucose in the sweat of diabetic patients," he added. We also cooperate with the US Air Force to track the health status of active pilots.
The researchers added that their technology may be extended to other body fluids, such as tears and saliva. Scientists introduced their findings in detail in the journal Science Translational Medicine on1October 23rd. 165438.
Original articles on life sciences.