Overview
- The study, published Wednesday in Nature Biomedical Engineering, details a flexible, battery-free patch that regenerates its sensing surface for continuous sweat monitoring.
- The sensor tracked reliably for 21 days with no measurable signal loss during tests across changing pH and temperature.
- It draws power from a phone or wrist reader through near-field communication, which also triggers a tiny current to a hydrogel that induces sweat on demand.
- A short low-voltage pulse clears bound molecules from the sensing layer, addressing the fouling that usually degrades long-term biosensors.
- The system measures cortisol, glucose, lactate and urea, and the UC Irvine team has filed a patent as it pursues development and broader validation.