The study found that wearable sweat sensors detect gyration-causing compounds

many things you don't like about going to the doctor: paying co-payments, sitting in waiting rooms, out-of-date magazines, patients coughing without covering their mouths. For many people, however, the worst thing about seeing a doctor is being pinned. Blood tests are a proven way to assess your health, but discomfort is inevitable. Scientists at the California Institute of Technology say maybe not.

in a new paper published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, researchers led by Gao Wei, an assistant professor of medical engineering, describe a large-scale wearable sensor that monitors levels of metabolites and nutrients in the blood by analyzing a person's sweat. Previously developed sweat sensors are designed for high concentrations of compounds such as electrolytes, glucose and lactates. The researchers say high sweat sensors are more sensitive than current devices and can detect much lower concentrations of sweat compounds in addition to being easier to manufacture.

the development of such sensors will enable doctors to continuously monitor patients with diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or kidney disease, all of which can lead to abnormal levels of nutrients or metabolites in the blood. It is beneficial for the patient to have a better understanding of the patient's condition while avoiding invasive and painful contact with under-the-skin injection needles.
“ This wearable sweat sensor has the potential to quickly, continuously, and invasly capture healthy changes in molecular levels," Gao said. "They enable personalized monitoring, early diagnosis and timely intervention."
High work focuses on the development of microflow-based devices, the name of the technique for manipulating trace liquids, usually through channels less than a quarter of a millimeter wide. Microflowers are ideal for these applications because they minimize the impact of sweat evaporation and skin contamination on sensing accuracy. As the newly supplied sweat flows through the microchannel, the device can measure the sweat more accurately and capture time changes in concentration.

, most of the wearable sensors based on microflowers have been made using photoresceration evaporation processes, which require complex and expensive manufacturing processes, said Mr. Gao and his colleagues. Instead, his team chose to make biosensors from graphene, a flaky carbon. Graphene sensors and tiny microflow channels are made of carbon dioxide laser-carved plastic sheets, a device that is now so common that it can be used by home lovers.

team chose to have their sensors measure breathing rate, heart rate, and levels of uric acid and tyrosine. Tyrosine was chosen because it can be used as an indicator of metabolic disorders, liver disease, eating disorders and neuropsychological disorders. Uric acid is chosen because, at elevated levels, it is associated with gyration, a painful joint disease that is on the rise worldwide. Gout occurs when high uric acid levels in the body begin to crystallize at the joints, especially in the feet, causing irritation and inflammation.

to observe the sensor's performance, the researchers conducted a series of tests on healthy individuals and patients. To detect levels of sweat tyrosine affected by a person's physical health, they used two groups of people: trained athletes and generally healthy people. Unsurprisingly, sensors show low levels of tyrosine in athletes' sweat. To check uric acid levels, they brought a healthy group of people to monitor their sweating during fasting and after eating foods rich in radon, a compound in food that is metabolized into uric acid. Sensors show an increase in uric acid levels after meals. Gao's team conducted similar tests on gingly wind patients. Sensors showed that their uric acid levels were much higher than those of healthy people.
To check the accuracy of the sensors, the researchers also took blood samples from gage patients and healthy subjects. Sensor measurements of uric acid levels are closely related to levels of compounds in the blood.
Gao says the sensors' high sensitivity and their easy manufacture mean they can eventually be used by home patients to monitor gyrations, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Having accurate real-time health information can even allow patients to adjust their drug levels and diet as needed.“ Given that abnormally circulating nutrients and metabolites are associated with many health conditions, the information collected from this wearable sensor is insedicious for research and medicine. Gao said. （cyy123.com）