A wearable freestanding electrochemical sensing system
Yichao Zhao, Bo Wang, Hannaneh Hojaiji, Zhaoqing Wang, Shuyu Lin, Christopher Yeung, Haisong Lin, Peterson Nguyen, Kaili Chiu, Kamyar Salahi, Xuanbing Cheng, Jiawei Tan, Betto Alcitlali Cerrillos, Sam Emaminejad
Abstract
To render high-fidelity wearable biomarker data, understanding and engineering the information delivery pathway from epidermally retrieved biofluid to a readout unit are critical. By examining the biomarker information delivery pathway and recognizing near-zero strained regions within a microfluidic device, a strain-isolated pathway to preserve biomarker data fidelity is engineered. Accordingly, a generalizable and disposable freestanding electrochemical sensing system (FESS) is devised, which simultaneously facilitates sensing and out-of-plane signal interconnection with the aid of double-sided adhesion. The FESS serves as a foundation to realize a system-level design strategy, addressing the challenges of wearable biosensing, in the presence of motion, and integration with consumer electronics. To this end, a FESS-enabled smartwatch was developed, featuring sweat sampling, electrochemical sensing, and data display/transmission, all within a self-contained wearable platform. The FESS-enabled smartwatch was used to monitor the sweat metabolite profiles of individuals in sedentary and high-intensity exercise settings.