Two Distinct Types of Sweat Profile in Healthy Subjects While Exercising at Constant Power Output Measured by a Wearable Sweat Sensor

Towards Multiplexed and Multimodal Biosensor Platforms in Real-Time Monitoring of Metabolic Disorders

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of conditions that increases the probability of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, and is very common worldwide. While the exact cause of MS has yet to be understood, there is evidence indicating the relationship between MS and the dysregulation of the immune system. The resultant biomarkers that are expressed in the process are gaining relevance in the early detection of related MS. However, sensing only a single analyte has its limitations because one analyte can be involved with various conditions. Thus, for MS, which generally results from the co-existence of multiple complications, a multi-analyte sensing platform is necessary for precise diagnosis. In this review, we summarize various types of biomarkers related to MS and the non-invasively accessible biofluids that are available for sensing. Then two types of widely used sensing platform, the electrochemical and optical, are discussed in terms of multimodal biosensing, figure-of-merit (FOM), sensitivity, and specificity for early diagnosis of MS. This provides a thorough insight into the current status of the available platforms and how the electrochemical and optical modalities can complement each other for a more reliable sensing platform for MS.

Preparation of green and sustainable colorimetric cotton assay using natural anthocyanins for sweat sensing

Herein, we develop a novel smart cotton swab as a diagnostic assay for onsite monitoring of sweat pH changes toward potential applications in monitoring human healthcare and drug exam. Anthocyanin (Ac) can be extracted from Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra using a simple procedure. Then, it can be used as a direct dye into cotton fibers using potash alum as mordant (M) to fix the anthocyanin dye onto the surface of the cotton fabric (Cot). This was monitored by generating mordant/anthocyanin nanoparticles (MAcNPs) onto the fabric surface. The cotton sensor assay demonstrated colorimetric changes in the ultraviolet-visible absorbance spectral analysis associated with a blueshift from 588 to 422 nm with increasing the pH of a perspiration simulant fluid. The biochromic performance of the dyed cotton diagnostic assay depended essentially on the halochromic activity of the anthocyanin spectroscopic probe to demonstrate a color change from pink to green due to intramolecular charge transfer occurring on the anthocyanin chromophore. After dyeing, no significant defects were detected in air-permeability and bend length. High colorfastness was investigated for the dyed cotton fabrics.

Noninvasive Precision Screening of Prostate Cancer by Urinary Multimarker Sensor and Artificial Intelligence Analysis

Screening for prostate cancer relies on the serum prostate-specific antigen test, which provides a high rate of false positives (80%). This results in a large number of unnecessary biopsies and subsequent overtreatment. Considering the frequency of the test, there is a critical unmet need of precision screening for prostate cancer. Here, we introduced a urinary multimarker biosensor with a capacity to learn to achieve this goal. The correlation of clinical state with the sensing signals from urinary multimarkers was analyzed by two common machine learning algorithms. As the number of biomarkers was increased, both algorithms provided a monotonic increase in screening performance. Under the best combination of biomarkers, the machine learning algorithms screened prostate cancer patients with more than 99% accuracy using 76 urine specimens. Urinary multimarker biosensor leveraged by machine learning analysis can be an important strategy of precision screening for cancers using a drop of bodily fluid.

A Capacitive Sweat Rate Sensor for Continuous and Real-Time Monitoring of Sweat Loss

Individualized measurement of sweat loss under heat stress is important in assessing physical performance and preventing heat-related illness for athletes or individuals working in extreme environments. The objective of this work was to develop a low-cost and easy-to-fabricate wearable sensor that enables accurate real-time measurement of sweat rate. A capacitive-type sensor was fabricated from two conducting parallel plates, plastic insulating layers, and a central microfluidic channel formed by laser cutting a plastic film. The device has no microfabricated electrodes and is assembled using adhesive tape. Sensor accuracy was validated at different flow rates and confirmed using an equivalent circuit model of the device. On-body measurements demonstrate the feasibility of real-time measurements and show good agreement with values determined from a conventional sweat collection device.

The Dynamic Response of Sweat Chloride to Changes in Exercise Load Measured by a Wearable Sweat Sensor

Wearable sensors enable the monitoring of an individual’s sweat composition in real time. In this work, we recorded real-time sweat chloride concentration for 12 healthy subjects in three different protocols involving step changes in exercise load and compared the results to laboratory-based analysis. The sensor results reflected the changes in exercise load in real time. On increasing the exercise load from 100 W to 200 W the sweat chloride concentration increased from 12.0 ± 5.9 to 31.4 ± 16 mM (mean ± SD). On decreasing the load from 200 W to 100 W, the sweat chloride concentration decreased from 27.7 ± 10.5 to 14.8 ± 8.1 mM. The half-time associated with the change in sweat chloride, defined as the time at which the concentration reached half of the overall change, was about 6 minutes. While the changes in sweat chloride were statistically significant, there was no correlation with changes in sweat rate or other physiological parameters, which we attribute to intra-individual variation (SD = 1.6–8.1 mM). The response to exercise-induced sweating was significantly different to chemically-induced sweating where the sweat chloride concentration was almost independent of sweat rate. We speculate that this difference is related to changes in the open probability of the CFTR channel during exercise, resulting in a decrease in reabsorption efficiency at higher sweat rates.

Out-of-clinic measurement of sweat chloride using a wearable sensor during low-intensity exercise

Wearable sensors have the potential to enable measurement of sweat chloride outside the clinic. Here we assess the feasibility of mild exercise as an alternative to pilocarpine iontophoresis for sweat generation. The results from this proof-of-concept study suggest that mild exercise could be a feasible approach to obtain reliable measurements of sweat chloride concentration within 20-30 min using a wearable sensor.