A fully integrated, non-invasive, and multimodal wearable device for sweat stimulation, collection and multiple physiological signals analysis

Abstract

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) present formidable global health challenges, driving the need for innovative solutions in their management and prevention. This study introduces an integrated wearable device capable of stimulating, collecting, and analyzing sweat metabolites, furnishing personalized data crucial for NCDs management. The multimodal and multichannel flexible sensor array (MMFSA) enables real-time monitoring of biomarkers, including uric acid (UA), glucose, and lactate, alongside pH levels and skin surface temperature. The MMFSA was fabricated with a mass-production screen-printing device and functionalized with fast and in-situ electrodeposition of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and Ti₃C₂Tx multilayer Nanoflak (MXene) to enhance the electrochemical properties (Surface roughness: 96.8 nm and BET surface area: 8.3 m²/g). Leveraging microfluidic chip technology for efficient sweat collection and utilizing AuNPs and MXene-modified screen-printed electrodes (AuNPs&MXene-SPEs) for improved detection, the MMFSA exhibits favorable performance characteristics such as low sample consumption (20 μL), low limits of detection (0.854 μM for UA, 50.7 μM for glucose, and 3.15 mM for lactate), high sensitivity (0.750nA/μM for UA, 0.359nA/μM for glucose, and 0.103nA/μM for lactate), specificity, and rapid response time. This wearable device transcends temporal and spatial constraints in patient management, offering a long-term, real-time, and non-invasive approach to sweat analysis, thereby holding promise for personalized healthcare monitoring and disease prevention strategies.