Skin-Interfaced Superhydrophobic Insensible Sweat Sensors for Evaluating Body Thermoregulation and Skin Barrier Functions

Monitoring sweat rate is vital for estimating sweat loss and accurately measuring biomarkers of interest. Although various optical or electrical sensors have been developed to monitor the sensible sweat rate, the quantification of the insensible sweat rate that is directly related to body thermoregulation and skin barrier functions still remains a challenge. This work introduces a superhydrophobic sweat sensor based on a polyacrylate sodium/MXene composite sandwiched between two superhydrophobic textile layers to continuously measure sweat vapor from insensible sweat with high sensitivity and rapid response. The superhydrophobic textile on a holey thin substrate with reduced stiffness and excellent breathability allows the permeation of sweat vapor, while preventing the sensor from being affected by the external water droplets and internal sensible sweat. Integrating the insensible sweat sensor with a flexible wireless communication and powering module further yields a standalone sensing system to continuously monitor insensible sweat rates at different body locations for diverse application scenarios. Proof-of-concept demonstrations on human subjects showcase the feasibility to continuously evaluate the body’s thermoregulation and skin barrier functions for the assessment of thermal comfort, disease conditions, and nervous system activity. The results presented in this work also provide a low-cost device platform to detect other health-relevant biomarkers in the sweat (vapor) as the next-generation sweat sensor for smart healthcare and personalized medicine.

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Work Title Skin-Interfaced Superhydrophobic Insensible Sweat Sensors for Evaluating Body Thermoregulation and Skin Barrier Functions
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Yangchengyi Liu
  2. Xiaofeng Li
  3. Hanlin Yang
  4. Ping Zhang
  5. Peihe Wang
  6. Yi Sun
  7. Fengzhen Yang
  8. Weiyi Liu
  9. Yujing Li
  10. Yao Tian
  11. Shun Qian
  12. Shangda Chen
  13. Huanyu Cheng
  14. Xiufeng Wang
Keyword
  1. MXene-sodium polyacrylate composites
  2. Superhydrophobic insensible sweat sensor
  3. Humidity and moisture monitoring
  4. Body thermoregulation
  5. Skin barrier functions
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. ACS Nano
Publication Date February 6, 2023
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c11267
Deposited January 29, 2024

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Work History

Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Added nn-2022-11267f.R2_Proof_hi.pdf
  • Added Creator Yangchengyi Liu
  • Added Creator Xiaofeng Li
  • Added Creator Hanlin Yang
  • Added Creator Ping Zhang
  • Added Creator Peihe Wang
  • Added Creator Yi Sun
  • Added Creator Fengzhen Yang
  • Added Creator Weiyi Liu
  • Added Creator Yujing Li
  • Added Creator Yao Tian
  • Added Creator Shun Qian
  • Added Creator Shangda Chen
  • Added Creator Huanyu Cheng
  • Added Creator Xiufeng Wang
  • Published
  • Updated Keyword, Publication Date Show Changes
    Keyword
    • MXene-sodium polyacrylate composites, Superhydrophobic insensible sweat sensor, Humidity and moisture monitoring, Body thermoregulation, Skin barrier functions
    Publication Date
    • 2023-03-28
    • 2023-02-06
  • Updated