![]() For biochemical evaluations, sweat represents an interesting but relatively underexplored biofluid that contains various biomarkers of core relevance to assessments of physiological health. Recent advances in materials science and mechanics design serve as the foundations for emerging classes of thin, soft devices that can interface with the surface of the skin for multifunctional sensing of body processes. Field trials demonstrate the ability of these devices to collect quantitative in situ measurements of local sweat chloride concentration, local sweat loss (and sweat rate), and skin temperature during vigorous physical activity in controlled, indoor conditions and in open-ocean swimming. ![]() This paper introduces materials and designs for waterproof, epidermal, microfluidic and electronic systems that adhere to the skin to enable capture, storage, and analysis of sweat, even while fully underwater. Recent advances in sweat collection and sensing technologies offer powerful capabilities, but they are not effective for use in extreme situations such as aquatic or arid environments, because of unique challenges in eliminating interference/contamination from surrounding water, maintaining robust adhesion in the presence of viscous drag forces and/or vigorous motion, and preventing evaporation of collected sweat. Noninvasive, in situ biochemical monitoring of physiological status, via the use of sweat, could enable new forms of health care diagnostics and personalized hydration strategies.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |