An Integrated Paper-Based Patch for Wearable Detection of Diabetic Nephropathy Biomarkers in Sweat

Abstract

The global epidemic of diabetes has popularized at-home glucose monitoring. However, detecting biomarkers for serious diabetes complications, such as diabetic nephropathy (DN), still necessitates frequent hospital visits, invasive blood analyses, and bulky laboratory equipment. Herein, a wireless wearable device based on an integrated paper-based patch (IPP) for non-invasive monitoring of three key DN biomarkers: glucose, creatinine, and uric acid, via in situ sweat analysis, is demonstrated. The disposable IPP realizes the all-in-one preparation of a high-performance electrochemical sensor array, an efficient microfluidic module, and iontophoresis electrodes, enabling reliable multi-parametric on-body sweat monitoring at rest. Notably, all electrodes on the IPP are treated with acrylamide-doped PEDOT: PSS conductive ink, imparting high conductivity to the IPP while preserving the porous structure of the paper substrate, thereby maximizing the electrochemically active area for highly sensitive detection of biomarkers. The usability of the wearable device is validated in assessing metabolic status in healthy participants after dietary intake and during physical exercise, as well as dialysis efficacy during hemodialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease. The wearable device for detecting DN biomarkers in sweat may facilitate at-home disease monitoring and the real-time assessment of hemodialysis efficacy for DN patients.