New technology can make monitoring patients much easier. vital health signs,
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed an electronic finger wrap that can detect important chemical levels — such as glucose, vitamins and Even the medicines — using only human sweat, the university said in a news release.
This wearable novelty is said to be designed to be as easy as wearing an adhesive bandage.
The research was published September 3 in the journal Nature Electronics.
“This is the first demonstration of a complete zero-electricity powered sweat (extraction and sensing) platform that enables the non-invasive monitoring of multiple biomarkers individually to support a wide range of practical scenarios. health care monitoring and wellness management,” Dr. Joseph Wang, PhD, a professor in the Aiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering at UC San Diego, told Fox News Digital in an email.
New technology from the University of California, San Diego, pictured here, could make it much easier to monitor patients’ vital health signs. (Shichao Ding)
According to the researchers, the wearable device wraps snugly around the finger and derives its power from the sweat of the finger.
“Despite their small size, the fingertips are among the most sweat-producing organs in the body, with more than 1,000 sweat glands each,” the news release states.
The device is made of electronic components and is printed on a thin, flexible and stretchable polymer material.
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It conforms to the shape of a finger and is “durable enough to withstand repeated bending, stretching and movement,” the researchers said.
“It is based on the remarkable integration of energy harvesting and storage components, including multiple biosensors and associated electronic controllers, into a fluidic microchannel, all at your fingertips,” Wang added.
Health at your fingertips – literally
In Study TestsAccording to the research team, bandaging the finger was found to be effective.
“The wearable microgrid on the finger works automatically after being worn on the finger,” study co-first author Shichao Ding, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in Wang’s research group at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, told Fox News Digital via email.
According to the researchers, the wearable device wraps snugly around the finger and derives its power from the sweat of the finger. (iStock)
Participants wore the device on their fingers while performing daily activities such as working at a desk, walking, eating and sleeping, to assess the “real-time performance of the sensors and energy harvesting system.”
Biomarker levels from sweat can be automatically monitored On-demand health trackingDing further said.
According to researchers, the glands in the fingers can produce 100 to 1000 times more sweat than other parts of the body, even while at rest.
“The tips of the fingers are some of the most sweat-producing parts of the body, with more than 1,000 sweat glands each.”
“This continuous dripping of natural sweat – without any provocation or physical activity “This provides a reliable power source that continues to power the device even during inactivity or sleep,” he said.
“Autonomous power, sensing and treatment, all in one device — that’s the ultimate goal,” Ding said.
Next Steps
Looking to the future, the researchers plan to enhance the device’s performance with additional energy harvesting techniques.
This could involve generating mechanical energy from human motion, such as normal finger movements like tapping or typing, Ding said.
One researcher said, “In the case of diabetes, such a device could continuously monitor glucose levels, automatically deliver insulin as needed, and then assess the effectiveness of treatment by further monitoring biomarker levels.” (iStock)
The researchers said they are working to optimise the circuit design, battery, low-power sensing module and data transmission to improve the device’s lifetime, stability and functionality, which will help ensure a sustainable balance between energy production and consumption.
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“Researchers are working on developing a closed-loop system that will not only monitor biomarkers, but also tailor treatment based on the data collected,” Ding told Fox News Digital.
“For example, A case of diabetes“Such a device could continuously monitor glucose levels, automatically deliver insulin as needed, and then assess the effectiveness of treatment by further monitoring biomarker levels,” he added.
A ‘pioneering’ innovation
Seokhyun “Sean” Choi, PhD, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Binghamton University in New York, was not involved in the development of the device but commented on its potential.
wearable technology Those specializing in the development of biosensing and bioenergy technologies, including self-powered biosensors and other solutions for personal health monitoring, have made significant progress, Choi said.
A doctor confirmed that this finger-wrap is “revolutionary” in terms of simple energy generation and health monitoring. (iStock)
“However, achieving true energy independence — where appliances are standalone and always on — remains a major challenge,” he told Fox News Digital.
Choi explained that current wearable devices rely on batteries or other energy storage devices, which pose limitations “due to their large size and limited energy capacity.”
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The finger-rap is “revolutionary” in terms of simple power generation and Health monitoringHe confirmed.
“To enable the next generation to Wearable applications“Power autonomy is essential, allowing devices to operate continuously, independently, and self-sufficiently,” Choi said.
“Autonomous power, sensing and treatment, all in one device — that’s the ultimate goal.”
He further added, “Professor Wang’s group has pioneered the integration of sweat-powered electrochemical fuel cells with energy storage batteries, and achieved sustainable high performance by using finger sweat to generate meaningful energy.”
One expert said, “It is revolutionary because it collects sweat from the fingers in a non-invasive and practically simple and straightforward manner.” (iStock)
“This is revolutionary because sweat is collected noninvasively and practically from the fingertips in a simple and straightforward way.”
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In addition to monitoring metabolic functions, this solution can also be used for a wide range of medical applications, Choi said.
