Thanks to this connected patch, it is possible to measure the pH, the level of glucose, lactate or even chlorine. It could even be used to detect diseases.
At a time when everyone wants to know their state of health in real time, American researchers have developed a patch capable of collecting and analyzing sweat. In the newspaper Science Translational Medicine, the Northwestern University team explains that this flexible and stretchable patch connected to a smartphone can be used during a workout to prevent dehydration. In the future, it could even help in the diagnosis of certain diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, for example, a pathology already identified thanks to a sweat test.
“The close contact with the skin created by this tool makes it possible to perform measurements that have not been possible until now with other sweat-absorbing patches,” explains John Rogers, head of the work. The engineering team took an interest in this bodily fluid because it contains a large number of biomarkers capable of signaling a particular physiological status.
But to analyze these molecules, engineers had to create a network of small tubes on the surface of the patch as well as reservoirs in which substances that change color in contact with sweat were deposited. These 4 reservoirs are used to measure the level of glucose, the pH or the rate of lactate and chlorine. The color changes are then interpreted by a smartphone application.
Marketed in 2019
Once this obstacle was overcome, the researchers tested the durability and accuracy of these measurements. About twenty athletes divided into two groups, one practicing indoor cycling in a gym and the other participating in an outdoor bike race, wore a patch on their arm and their body. back.
The researchers noted that the tests carried out inside gave the same results as those obtained with more powerful machines, which helped to show the precision of this small tool. The race carried out outdoors shows that the patch remains stuck to the cyclists’ skin throughout the event, does not leak and provides quality information.
For researchers, this patch is an important innovation because it makes it possible to collect, analyze and store small samples of sweat without requiring an energy source. Available individually and disposable after use, this patch should be on the market within 3 years.
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