Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Sensor-20

Future Wearable Health Tech Could Measure Gases
Released from Skin
New research points the way to monitoring metabolic diseases.
The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
S
cientists have taken the first step to
creating the next generation of wearable
health monitors.
Most research on measuring human biomarkers,
which are measures of a body's
health, rely on electrical signals to sense
the chemicals excreted in sweat. But sensors
that rely on perspiration often require
huge amounts of it just to get a reading.
A new study suggests that a wearable
sensor may be able to monitor the body's
health by instead detecting the gases released
from a person's skin.
" It is completely non-invasive, and completely
passive on the behalf of the user, "
said Anthony Annerino, lead author of
the study.
Some wearable devices, like smartwatches
or fitness trackers, are already
capable of measuring pulse rates or
APPLICATIONS
ADHESIVES for
SENSOR
SENSOR
APPLICATIONS
EPOXIES & SILICONES
Select compounds offer:
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
Up to 6.5 W/( m*K)
ELECTRICAL INSULATION
Volume resistivity >1014
ELECTRICAL INSULATION
Volume resistivity >1014
ohm-cm
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY
Volume resistivity <0.001 ohm-cm
+1.201.343.8983 ∙ main@masterbond.com
www.masterbond.com
20
EPOXIES & SILICONES
temperatures, but this team's
method would allow the technology
to sense biomarkers related
to metabolic disorders,
like heart disease or diabetes.
" Discerning health issues
through the skin is really the
ultimate frontier, " said study
co-author Pelagia-Iren Gouma.
" The project still has a
couple of years to go, " said
Gouma. " But in six months, we
should have proof of concept
and in a year, we'd like to have
it tested in people. "
The final product of the
team's research would be a
small device a person could
wear on low- sweat body locations,
like behind the ear or on the nails,
she said. And as more people become
familiar with using wearable devices in
their everyday lives, Gouma expects technology
and medicine to become even
more intertwined.
The study suggests future health sensors could work by detecting
chemicals released from the skin. (Image: Getty Images)
Scientists, including Gouma, have a
long history of measuring the concentration
of organic compounds in our breath
- a type of gas - as indicators of health.
One example would be blowing into a
breathalyzer, a device that can measure
the amount of alcohol in a person's blood
or be used to detect viruses.
But such a gadget requires " active intent "
and only provides a " momentary
snapshot " of the body, Annerino noted.
Compared to the amount of chemicals
we release when we breathe, he said,
this team's sensors can operate on much
smaller amounts of gaseous acetone released
from the skin.
Acetone is one of the substances secreted
from the skin that can tell researchers a lot
about the inner workings of the human
body. Concentrations of acetone in the
breath have also been shown to be related
to blood sugar levels and fat-burning rates.
To test whether their sensors could
detect varying amounts of these enlightening
chemicals (which would signal the
presence of the gaseous molecules), the
researchers created a film material made
from derivatives of plant cellulose and
www.techbriefs.com
electroactive polymers. This film can bend
dramatically in response to how much of
the acetone is detected in its environment.
The team then placed the film over
solutions containing ethanol, acetone,
and water to gauge its sensitivity, selectivity,
and repeatability.
" We found significant bias toward
bending more upon exposure to certain
chemicals over others, " said Annerino.
This bending happens in milliseconds,
and the researchers used machine learning
and complex computational algorithms
to accurately record and track the
film's bending response to the different
chemical solutions.
Their findings showed that the films
are sensitive enough to track long-term
changes in the body. While focusing on
a metabolic rate sensor, another possible
use would be to track ethanol, which, in
the body, can spell signs of liver disease.
More work needs to be done on how
the films used in this study would work
as actual sensors worn on the body, the
researchers said.
The opportunity to make someone's life
easier was one of the reasons Annerino
said he was so eager to get involved with
the study. " Not every research study has
an obvious impact on society and people's
lives, but that's something that this project
in particular really has, " he said.
For more information, contact Tatyana
Woodall at woodal.52@osu.edu.
Sensor Technology, October 2022
http://info.hotims.com/82326-719 http://www.techbriefs.com
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022
