Wearable Osmotic-Capillary Patch for Prolonged Sweat Harvesting and Sensing

Biomarkers in sweat are a largely untapped source of health information. Most of the currently available sweat harvesting and testing devices are incapable of operating under low-sweat rates such as those experienced by humans at rest. Here we analyze the in vitro and in vivo sampling of sweat through osmosis via the use of a hydrogel interfaced with the skin, without need for active perspiration. The hydrogel also interfaces with paper-based microfluidics to transport the fluid via capillary forces toward a testing zone and then evaporation pad. We show that the hydrogel solute content and area of the evaporation pad regulate the long-term extraction of sweat and its associated biomarkers. The results indicate that the platform can sample biomarkers from a model skin system continuously for approximately 12 h. On-skin testing of the platform on both resting and exercising human subjects confirms that it can sample sweat lactate directly from the surface of skin. The results highlight that lactate in sweat increases with exercise and as a direct result of muscle activity. Implementation of such new principles for sweat fluid harvesting and management via wearable patch devices can contribute toward the advancement of next generation wearables.