A team of researchers at Caltech has developed a wearable sweat sensor that can track biomarkers in real-time, using printed nanoparticle ink. This breakthrough innovation enables the mass production of a wearable sensor that can monitor desired levels and drugs in the human body.
Researchers have created a new pathway towards personalized healthcare by developing printable molecule selective nanoparticles. These core-shell cubic nanoparticles include the molecule to be measured, such as a drug or vitamin C, which are effectively imprinted with the shape of the targeted biomarker inside the human body through an electrical exchange with sweat or fluids.
The printed sweat monitors can potentially evaluate the body at all times in real-time, thereby improving treatment and customizing healthcare to individual needs. The innovation has been compared to artificial antibodies that only recognize the shapes of specific molecules.
In their new study published in Nature Materials, researchers combined polymers with a nanoparticle core made of nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF). When the fluid comes into contact with this material, it generates an electrical signal in the holes that match the molecule’s shape. The desired molecule fills those holes, revealing how much is in the body.
This technology has been tested on cancer patients in California and has shown promising results. Researchers believe that this innovation can lead to dose personalization not only for cancer but for many other chronic conditions as well.
Source: https://interestingengineering.com/health/caltech-engineered-an-an-inkjet-sweat-sensor