Wearable and flexible electrochemical sensors for sweat analysis: a review

Fupeng Gao; Chunxiu Liu; Lichao Zhang; Tiezhu Liu; Zheng Wang; Zixuan Song; Haoyuan Cai; Zhen Fang; Jiamin Chen; Junbo Wang; Mengdi Han; Jun Wang; Kai Lin; Ruoyong Wang; Mingxiao Li; Qian Mei; Xibo Ma; Shuli Liang; Guangyang Gou; Ning Xue

doi:10.1038/s41378-022-00443-6

Wearable and flexible electrochemical sensors for sweat analysis: a review

Microsyst Nanoeng. 2023 Jan 1:9:1. doi: 10.1038/s41378-022-00443-6. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Fupeng Gao^#^{1

2}, Chunxiu Liu^#^{1

2}, Lichao Zhang^{1

2}, Tiezhu Liu^{1

2}, Zheng Wang^{1

2}, Zixuan Song^{1

2}, Haoyuan Cai^{1

2}, Zhen Fang^{1

2}, Jiamin Chen^{1

2}, Junbo Wang^{1

2}, Mengdi Han³, Jun Wang⁴, Kai Lin⁵, Ruoyong Wang⁵, Mingxiao Li⁶, Qian Mei⁷, Xibo Ma⁸, Shuli Liang⁹, Guangyang Gou^{1

2}, Ning Xue^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Electronic, Electrical, and Communication Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), 100190 Beijing, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100190 Beijing, China.
³ Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China.
⁴ Beijing Shuimujiheng Biotechnology Company, 101102 Beijing, China.
⁵ PLA Air Force Characteristic Medical Center, 100142 Beijing, China.
⁶ Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029 Beijing, China.
⁷ CAS Key Laboratory of Biomedical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 215163 Suzhou, China.
⁸ CBSR&NLPR, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
⁹ Functional Neurosurgery Department, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100045 Beijing, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Flexible wearable sweat sensors allow continuous, real-time, noninvasive detection of sweat analytes, provide insight into human physiology at the molecular level, and have received significant attention for their promising applications in personalized health monitoring. Electrochemical sensors are the best choice for wearable sweat sensors due to their high performance, low cost, miniaturization, and wide applicability. Recent developments in soft microfluidics, multiplexed biosensing, energy harvesting devices, and materials have advanced the compatibility of wearable electrochemical sweat-sensing platforms. In this review, we summarize the potential of sweat for medical detection and methods for sweat stimulation and collection. This paper provides an overview of the components of wearable sweat sensors and recent developments in materials and power supply technologies and highlights some typical sensing platforms for different types of analytes. Finally, the paper ends with a discussion of the challenges and a view of the prospective development of this exciting field.

Keywords: Chemistry; Nanobiotechnology; Nanoscale materials.

Publication types

Review