Your sweat may hold secrets about your health, say researchers – here’s how

New technology could make it significantly easier to monitor patients’ vital health signs.

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed an electronic finger wrap that monitors important chemical levels — such as glucose, vitamins and even drugs — using only human sweat, the university said in a press release.

Clothing innovation is said to be as easy as putting on an adhesive bandage.

The research was published in September. 3 in the journal Nature Electronics.

“This is the first demonstration of a complete zero-electricity sweat (extraction and sensing) platform that enables noninvasive monitoring of multiple biomarkers to support a wide range of practical scenarios in personalized healthcare monitoring and management. well-being,” said Dr. Joseph Wang, PhD, a professor in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nanoengineering at UC San Diego, told Fox News Digital in an email.

According to the researchers, the wearable device wraps tightly around the finger and gets its power from the sweat of the fingertip.

“Fingertips, despite their small size, are among the most prolific sweat producers in the body, each packed with over 1,000 sweat glands,” the press release states.

The device is built from electronic components and printed on a thin, flexible and stretchable polymer material.

It conforms to the finger and is “durable enough to withstand repeated bending, stretching and movement,” the researchers said.

Added Wang, “It is based on a remarkable integration of energy harvesting and storage components, with multiple biosensors in a fluidic microchannel, along with the corresponding electronic controller, all at the fingertips.”

Health at your fingertips – literally

In study trials, the finger wrap proved to be effective, according to the research team.

“The microgrid worn on the fingertips works automatically after it is worn on the finger,” study co-first author Shichao Ding, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in Wang’s research group at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, told Fox News. Digital by email.

Participants wore the device on their fingertip while performing daily activities such as desk work, walking, eating and sleeping to assess “real-time performance of the sensors and energy harvesting system.”

Biomarker levels can be automatically monitored from sweat for on-demand health tracking, Ding added.

Glands in the fingertips can produce 100 to 1,000 times more sweat than most other areas of the body, even while at rest, according to researchers.

“This continuous flow of natural sweat—without any stimuli or physical activity—provides a reliable source of energy, fueling the device even during periods of inactivity or sleep,” they said.

Ding added, “Power, sensitivity and autonomous handling all in one device—that’s the ultimate goal.”

Next steps

Looking ahead, the researchers plan to improve the device’s performance with additional energy harvesting techniques.

They could involve generating mechanical energy from human movement, such as common finger movements like tapping or typing, Ding said.

The researchers are working to optimize the circuit design, battery, low-power sensor modules and data transmission to improve the device’s lifetime, stability and functionality, the researcher said, which will help ensure a stable balance. between energy generation and consumption.

“Researchers are working to develop a closed system that not only monitors biomarkers, but also administers treatments based on the data collected,” Ding told Fox News Digital.

“For example, in the case of diabetes, such a device could continuously monitor glucose levels, automatically deliver insulin as needed, and then assess the effectiveness of treatment by further monitoring biomarker levels.”

A “pioneering” innovation.

Seokheun “Sean” Choi, PhD, a professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering at Binghamton University in New York, was not involved in the development of the device, but commented on its potential.

Wearable technology has made significant advances, noted Choi, who specializes in the development of biosensing and bioenergy technologies, including self-powered biosensors and other solutions for personalized health monitoring.

“However, achieving true energy independence — where devices are self-contained and always on — remains a huge challenge,” he told Fox News Digital.

Current wearables rely on batteries or other energy storage devices, Choi noted, which present limitations “due to their large and limited energy capacity.”

The finger wrap is “revolutionary” in terms of simple energy generation and health monitoring, he confirmed.

“To realize the next generation of wearable applications, power autonomy is essential, allowing devices to operate continuously, independently and self-sustainably,” said Choi.

“Professor Wang’s group has pioneered the integration of a sweat-driven electrochemical fuel cell with an energy storage battery, achieving high sustained performance by using finger sweat to generate significant power,” he continued.

“This is revolutionary because the sweat was harvested non-invasively and virtually from the fingertip in a simple and straightforward way.”

In addition to monitoring metabolic functions, Choi said, this solution also has the potential to be used for a wide range of medical applications.