{"title":"sNails: sweat-sensing nails for unobtrusive, wearable microfluidic sweat monitoring from the dorsal distal phalanges.","authors":"Noelle Davis,Pooja Mehta,Amanda Kang,Liam Gillan,Jussi Hiltunen,Ali Javey","doi":"10.1039/d5lc00586h","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"We present a fingernail-mounted microfluidic sweat sensor, the sNail, that leverages the anatomical and mechanical advantages of the nail plate and adjacent dorsal finger skin-regions that are uniquely stiff and stable yet underutilized for wearable biosensing. In contrast to fully soft, skin-mounted sensors, our device exploits the rigidity of the nail to host microfluidics that remain stable under typical daily finger motion. The platform incorporates a hydrogel-filled sweat collection well and stretchable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) microfluidics, fabricated via scalable laserjet printing and laser cutting. We demonstrate frequent sweat rate monitoring across multiple fingers and subjects during activities ranging from walking to typing, and capture dynamic changes in sweat rate associated with both physical exertion and psychological stress. This nail-mounted approach enables unobtrusive, informative sweat biosensing, paving the way for broader adoption in everyday settings.","PeriodicalId":85,"journal":{"name":"Lab on a Chip","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Lab on a Chip","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5lc00586h","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
We present a fingernail-mounted microfluidic sweat sensor, the sNail, that leverages the anatomical and mechanical advantages of the nail plate and adjacent dorsal finger skin-regions that are uniquely stiff and stable yet underutilized for wearable biosensing. In contrast to fully soft, skin-mounted sensors, our device exploits the rigidity of the nail to host microfluidics that remain stable under typical daily finger motion. The platform incorporates a hydrogel-filled sweat collection well and stretchable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) microfluidics, fabricated via scalable laserjet printing and laser cutting. We demonstrate frequent sweat rate monitoring across multiple fingers and subjects during activities ranging from walking to typing, and capture dynamic changes in sweat rate associated with both physical exertion and psychological stress. This nail-mounted approach enables unobtrusive, informative sweat biosensing, paving the way for broader adoption in everyday settings.
期刊介绍:
Lab on a Chip is the premiere journal that publishes cutting-edge research in the field of miniaturization. By their very nature, microfluidic/nanofluidic/miniaturized systems are at the intersection of disciplines, spanning fundamental research to high-end application, which is reflected by the broad readership of the journal. Lab on a Chip publishes two types of papers on original research: full-length research papers and communications. Papers should demonstrate innovations, which can come from technical advancements or applications addressing pressing needs in globally important areas. The journal also publishes Comments, Reviews, and Perspectives.