The focus of testing is with ‘lab-on-a-chip’ technology. This involves the miniaturization of standard laboratory tests and the automation of the test process. In a new innovation, Northwestern University researchers have developed a soft, flexible microfluidic device that can be fitted to the skin of a person and monitor the wearer’s sweat. Such a device can analyse, for example, how a person responds to exercise.
The new device is small and thin and it is designed to assess key biological markers (‘biomarkers’), which provide information about human health. These are: glucose, chloride, lactate, pH, and each is of clinical significance. Sweat rate and sweat loss are also assessed, with data captured in real time. The device can be discretely fitted on the forearm or back.
In communication with Digital Journal, one of the inventors of the device, Professor John A. Rogers explains: “Sweat is a rich, chemical broth containing a number of important chemical compounds with physiological health information. By expanding our previously developed ‘epidermal’ electronics platform to include a complex network of microfluidic channels and storage reservoirs, we now can perform biochemical analysis of this important biofluid.”
The idea behind the device is that should a key biomarker indicate an alert, the person wearing the device could take action. For example, drinking water to avoid dehydration or replenishing electrolytes by consuming a special sports drink. Information from the device can be sent wirelessly to a smartphone or other mobile device. A further advantage is that the device avoids the need for blood tests.
The new device is a further extension of skin-like stretchable electronics. The complexities centered on the collection, storage and analysis of sweat given the complexities of fluid flow.
Trails carried out using the device have been successful and reported to the journal Science Translational Medicine. The research is titled “A Soft, Wearable Microfluidic Device for the Capture, Storage, and Colorimetric Sensing of Sweat.”
