A team of researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China have created a bandage with biosensor that collects and analyzes sweat in conjunction with a smart phone. Sweat contains a wealth of information about what's going on inside the body. However, collecting the fluid for analysis, usually by absorbing it from the skin's surface, can be time-consuming and messy.
Researchers say the device could someday help diagnose diseases. Other scientists had developed tools to collect and analyze sweat, such as temporary tattoos or microfluidic devices, but they typically require wires, electronics or sophisticated structures.
Therefore, researchers Tailin Xu, and Xueji Zhang wanted to make a wearable biosensor resembling a bandage that samples sweat and uses a simple color-changing assay to quantify various components, the German News Agency reported.
The bandage includes a flexible polyester film with a super-hydrophobic silica suspension. Researchers etched micro-wells into the silica layer to collect perspiration, and filled them with dyes that change color with pH or concentration of chloride, glucose or calcium. The team added an adhesive backing and attached the biosensor bandage onto a volunteer's skin.
When the person exercised, their perspiration collected in the micro-wells, and the spots changed colors. By imaging and analyzing the colors with a cell phone, the researchers can obtain different data related to the volunteer's bio indicators.
