Tape‐Free, Digital Wearable Band for Exercise Sweat Rate Monitoring. Issue 6 (26th January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dautta, Manik; Ayala‐Cardona, Luis Fernando; Davis, Noelle; Aggarwal, Ashwin; Park, Jonghwa; Wang, Shu; Gillan, Liam; Jansson, Elina; Hietala, Mikko; Ko, Hyunhyub; Hiltunen, Jussi; Javey, Ali
• Is Part Of: Advanced materials technologies. Volume 8:Issue 6(2023)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2023-01-26
• Subjects: 3D printed -- fluid loss -- leakage‐free -- reusable -- sweat rate -- tape‐free -- wearable devices; Materials science -- Periodicals; Technological innovations -- Periodicals; Materials science; Technological innovations; Periodicals; 620.1105
• DOI: 10.1002/admt.202201187
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2365-709X

Abstract

Abstract: Monitoring sweat secretion rate is essential for uncovering underlying physical conditions like hyperhidrosis, mental stress, and neural disorders. Often, flexible microfluidic sweat rate monitoring devices use tape as a means of attachment to the skin to tightly seal the collection area. While these single‐use, adhesive‐backed devices have lightweight and thin interfaces for mounting on the skin, their form factor complicates their potential integration with available commercial wearables, such as smartwatches. Here, a tape‐free device, consisting of a 3D‐printed sweat collector with a concave surface that is strapped onto the skin to form an effective seal, is presented. The materials, structure, and dimensions of the sweat collector are optimized for conformal device‐to‐skin contact and efficient capture of sweat. The collector is interfaced with a fluidic microchannel with embedded electrodes for continuous digital monitoring of sweat rate. Long‐term exercise‐induced local sweat rate from multiple body locations in both multi‐subject and longitudinal studies is measured, depicting the correlation between the measured sweat profile and total body fluid loss. The simple installation procedure and reusability of this tape‐free device make it a good candidate for integration with the band of a watch. Abstract : A tape‐free, 3D‐printed wearable device is developed for long‐term continuous exercise sweat rate monitoring. The mildly elastic sweat collector optimized for leakage‐free long‐lived device‐to‐skin contact, and the screen‐printed electrode‐embedded fluidic microchannel, enable digital sweat rate monitoring from multiple body locations in both multi‐subject and longitudinal studies.