Japanese researchers are developing a fabric capable of analyzing sweat and thus monitoring our state of health.
- Fibers and fabrics are ubiquitous in our daily lives.
- Sweat can be obtained non-invasively and safely at any time. Its composition depends on hereditary factors and diet.
Bracelet, tooth, fork, scale… In recent years, more and more connected objects have emerged to help us monitor our state of health. Currently, scientists at Tōhoku University (Japan) are developing a t-shirt that could examine sweat and alert the wearer to abnormalities. This is what they revealed in a study, the results of which were published in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry.
“Smart fabrics enable the seamless integration of electronics, optics, biosensors and mechanics into an inherently flexible fiber strand as thin as a human hair. These fabrics can then be used to monitor vital physiological signals related to our state of mental and physical health”, they explained in a statement.
A fiber that analyzes sweat electrolytes and metabolites
In detail, the researchers are developing a microelectronic fiber with microscopic parameters, which would be able to analyze the electrolytes and metabolites present in sweat. Its micrometer scale would allow it to be woven into clothing. To make it, the team used a thermal stretching technique, which involves applying heat to extract a microstructured fiber from its macroscopic shape. The team also grafted two sensing electrodes for sodium and uric acid onto the longitudinal surface of the fiber.
A fabric that could “revolutionize the textile and health industries”
“Our breakthrough is the first successful attempt to use thermally stretched fiber in wearable bioelectronics to monitor biochemical signatures. transformation of the fiber, in order to make a truly wearable smart fabric”, said Yuanyuan Guo, author of the works. He thinks this connected fabric could “revolutionizing the textile and health industries”.
