New technology could make it much easier to monitor patients' vital health signs.
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego have developed an electronic finger wrap that uses only human sweat to monitor levels of important chemicals like glucose, vitamins and even drugs, the university announced in a news release.
The wearable technology is said to be as easy as putting on a band-aid.
The research was published September 3 in the journal Nature Electronics.
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“This is the first demonstration of a complete, zero-power sweat (extraction and sensing) platform that enables non-invasive monitoring of multiple biomarkers and supports a wide range of practical scenarios for personalized healthcare monitoring and health management,” Dr. Joseph Wang, professor in the Department of Chemical and Nanoengineering at the University of California, San Diego, told Fox News Digital in an email.
The new technology from UC San Diego presented here could make it much easier to monitor patients' important health signs. (Ding Shiqiao)
According to the researchers, the wearable device wraps snugly around the finger and draws power from sweat on the fingertips.
“Though small, fingertips are some of the most sweat-producing parts of the body, with more than 1,000 sweat glands densely packed into the fingertips,” the news release said.
The device is made up of electronic components printed onto a thin, flexible and stretchable polymer material.
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The researchers say the artificial joint fits the finger well and is “durable enough to withstand repeated bending, straightening and movement.”
“It is based on the remarkable integration of energy harvesting and storage components, with multiple biosensors in fluidic microchannels and a corresponding electronic controller, all at your fingertips,” Wang added.
Health is literally at your fingertips
The researchers say the finger bandages have been shown to be effective in lab trials.
“The fingertip microgrid would operate automatically once worn on the finger,” Dr. Shichao Ding, a postdoctoral researcher in the Wang Research Group at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego and co-first author of the study, told Fox News Digital in an email.
According to the researchers, the wearable device wraps snugly around the finger and draws power from sweat on the fingertips. (iStock)
Participants wore the device on their fingertips while performing daily activities such as desk work, walking, eating, and sleeping, and evaluated the “real-time performance of the sensor and energy collection system.”
Ding added that biomarker levels from sweat could be automatically monitored for on-demand health tracking.
Researchers say that the sweat glands in your fingertips can produce 100 to 1,000 times more sweat than most other parts of your body, even when you're at rest.
“The fingertips are one of the parts of the body that sweat the most, with over 1,000 sweat glands densely packed into the fingertips.”
“This constant drip of natural sweating provides a reliable energy source to power devices even during periods of inactivity or sleep, without any stimulation or physical activity,” the researchers said.
“The ultimate goal is to integrate autonomous power, sensing, and therapy all in one device,” Ding added.
Next steps
Going forward, the researchers plan to utilize additional energy-harvesting techniques to improve the device's performance.
Ding said those could involve generating mechanical energy from human movements, such as common finger movements like tapping or typing.
“In the case of diabetes, such a device could continuously monitor blood glucose levels, automatically administer insulin when needed, and even assess the effectiveness of treatment by monitoring biomarker levels,” the researchers said. (iStock)
The researchers are working on optimizing the circuit design, battery, low-power sensing module and data transmission to improve the device's lifespan, stability and functionality, which will help ensure a sustainable balance between energy generation and consumption, the researchers said.
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“Researchers are working to develop a closed-loop system that not only monitors biomarkers but also administers treatment based on the data collected,” Ding told Fox News Digital.
“For example, in the case of diabetes, such a device could continuously monitor blood glucose levels, automatically administer insulin when needed, and even assess the effectiveness of treatment by monitoring biomarker levels.”
Pioneering innovation
Dr. Seok-hoon “Sean” Choi, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Binghamton University in New York, was not involved in the device's development but commented on its potential.
Wearable technology has made great strides, noted Choi, who specializes in developing biosensing and bioenergy technologies, including self-powered biosensors and other solutions for personalized health monitoring.
Doctors say the finger-worn device is “revolutionary” in terms of how easily it can generate electricity and monitor health. (iStock)
“But achieving true energy independence, where devices are standalone and always on, remains a big challenge,” he told Fox News Digital.
Current wearable devices rely on batteries and other energy storage devices, which are limited “by their size and limited energy capacity,” Choi noted.
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He acknowledged that the finger-worn device is “revolutionary” in terms of the easy way it generates electricity and monitors health.
“To enable the next generation of wearable applications, power autonomy is essential so that devices can operate continuously, independently and autonomously,” Choi said.
“That's the ultimate goal: autonomous power, sensing and therapy all integrated into one device.”
“Professor Wang's group has pioneered the integration of sweat-powered electrochemical fuel cells and energy storage batteries, achieving sustainable high performance by using fingertip sweat to generate meaningful power,” he continued.
“This is revolutionary because sweat can now be collected non-invasively and in a virtually simple and direct way from the fingertip,” the expert said. (iStock)
“This is revolutionary because sweat is collected non-invasively and virtually from the fingertip in a simple and direct way.”
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In addition to monitoring metabolic function, Choi said the solution could also have a wide range of medical applications.
