Your sweat could hold secrets about your health, researchers say — 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 stated in a news release.
The wearable innovation is said to be as easy as wearing an adhesive bandage.
The research was published on Sept. 3 in the journal Nature Electronics.
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"This is the first demonstration of a complete zero-electric powered sweat (extraction and sensing) platform that enables non-invasive monitoring of multiple biomarkers to support a wide range of practical scenarios in personalized health care monitoring and wellness management," Dr. Joseph Wang, PhD, a professor in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering at UC San Diego, told Fox News Digital in an email.
The wearable apparatus wraps snugly around the finger and draws its power from the fingertip’s sweat, according to the researchers.
"Fingertips, despite their small size, are among the body’s most prolific sweat producers, each packed with over 1,000 sweat glands," the news release stated.
The device is constructed from electronic components and printed on a thin, flexible and stretchable polymer material.
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It conforms to the finger and is "durable enough to withstand repeated bending, stretching and movement," the researchers stated.
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 fingertip."
In the study trials, the finger wrap showed to be effective, according to the research team.
"The fingertip-wearable microgrid 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 via email.
Participants wore the device on the fingertip while performing daily activities such as working at a desk, walking, eating and sleeping to assess "the real-time performance of the sensors and energy-harvesting system."
Biomarker levels can be automatically monitored from the sweat for on-demand health tracking, Ding added.
Fingertip glands can produce 100 to 1,000 times more sweat than most other areas of the body, even during rest, according to the researchers.
"This constant trickle of natural perspiration — without any stimuli or physical activity — offers a reliable energy source, fueling the device even during periods of inactivity or sleep," they stated.
Ding added, "Autonomous power, sensing and treatment all in one device — that’s the ultimate goal."
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to enhance the device’s performance with additional energy-harvesting techniques.
Those might involve generating mechanical energy from human motion, such as common finger movements like tapping or typing, Ding said.
The researchers are working to optimize the circuit design, battery, low-power sensing modules and data transmission to improve the device's lifespan, stability and functionality, the researcher said, which will help to ensure a sustained balance between energy generation and consumption.
"Researchers are working to develop a closed-loop system that not only monitors biomarkers, but also administers treatments based on the collected data," Ding told Fox News Digital.
"For instance, in the case of diabetes, such a device could continuously monitor glucose levels, automatically deliver insulin as needed, and then assess the treatment’s effectiveness by further monitoring biomarker levels."
Seokheun "Sean" Choi, PhD, a professor in the electrical and computer engineering department at Binghamton University in New York, was not involved in the device’s development but commented on its potential.
Wearable technology has made significant strides, noted Choi, who specializes in developing biosensing and bioenergy technologies, including self-powered biosensors and other solutions for personalized health monitoring.
"However, achieving true energy independence — where devices are standalone and always-on — remains a major challenge," he told Fox News Digital.
Current wearables rely on batteries or other energy storage devices, noted Choi, which pose limitations "due to their bulk and limited energy capacity."
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The finger-wrap is "revolutionary" in terms of simple power 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," Choi said.
"Professor Wang’s group has pioneered the integration of a sweat-driven electrochemical fuel cell with an energy storage battery, achieving sustainable high performance by using fingertip perspiration to generate meaningful power," he went on.
"This is revolutionary because sweat was non-invasively and practically harvested from the fingertip in a simple, straightforward manner."
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In addition to monitoring metabolic functions, Choi said, this solution also has the potential to be used for a wide range of medical applications.