Washington State University researchers have created a pioneering 3D-printed wearable health monitor capable of detecting crucial biochemical levels in sweat, paving the way for non-invasive diagnosis of diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
In a groundbreaking development poised to revolutionize medical diagnostics, researchers at Washington State University have designed a wearable health monitor capable of measuring important biochemicals in sweat during physical exercise.
Published in the journal ACS Sensors, the innovative 3D-printed monitor could eventually offer a simple, non-invasive method for tracking health conditions and diagnosing diseases such as diabetes, gout, kidney disease and heart disease. This could provide a significant leap forward in personalized healthcare and early disease detection.
“Diabetes is a major problem worldwide,” Chuchu Chen, a WSU doctoral student and first author on the paper, said in a news release. “I think 3D printing can make a difference to the healthcare fields, and I wanted to see if we can combine 3D printing with disease detection methods to create a device like this.”
Using a unique single-step 3D printing process, the WSU team created health monitors that accurately track glucose, lactate and uric acid levels in sweat, along with the rate of sweating during exercise. These biomarkers are pivotal in assessing various health conditions. For instance, glucose levels help monitor diabetes, while lactate levels indicate exercise intensity.
“Sweat rate is also an important parameter and physiological indicator for people’s health,” Kaiyan Qiu, Berry Assistant Professor in WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, said in the news release. Qiu spearheaded the study with Annie Du, research professor in WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
While sweat contains valuable health information, measuring these tiny chemical concentrations has traditionally been challenging. Existing sweat sensors are often complex and require specialized fabrication equipment. The WSU team’s use of single-atom catalysts and enzymatic reactions to enhance sensor sensitivity is a novel approach.
“It’s novel to use single-atom catalysts to enhance the sensitivity and accuracy of the health monitor,” said Du.
The health monitor employs microscopically small channels to assess both sweat rate and biomarker concentration. These micro-channels, fabricated without any supporting structure, eliminate potential contamination issues during production.
“We need to measure the tiny concentrations of biomarkers, so we don’t want these supporting materials to be present or to have to remove them,” said Qiu. “That’s why we’re using a unique method to print the self-supporting microfluidic channels.”
The prototype monitors, tested on volunteers’ arms, demonstrated accurate and reliable measurement of both chemical concentrations and sweat rates. Moreover, the device was comfortable to wear.
The researchers are now focused on enhancing the device’s design and validation, with hopes of eventually bringing the technology to market. The WSU Office of Commercialization has filed a provisional patent application to protect the intellectual property.
The implications of this breakthrough are vast. If commercialized, this health monitor could transform how diseases are diagnosed and monitored, offering a non-invasive, user-friendly option for real-time health assessment.