State of Sweat: Emerging Wearable Systems for Real-Time, Noninvasive Sweat Sensing and Analytics

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Skin-interfaced wearable systems integrate colorimetric assays, microfluidic channels, and electrochemical sensors.
• These systems enable noninvasive, real-time sweat analysis for dynamic biomarker monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail recent progress in developing and translating novel wearable sensors for sweat analysis.
• To highlight opportunities for sensor accuracy, system ruggedness, and large-scale deployment.

Main Methods:

• Development of skin-interfaced wearable systems with integrated analytical capabilities.
• On-body measurements using colorimetric assays, microfluidics, and electrochemical sensing.
• Comparison of on-body measurements with conventional laboratory-based sweat analysis.

Main Results:

• Wearable sensors provide precise sampling and real-time analysis of sweat biomarkers.
• On-body measurements demonstrate good agreement with laboratory-based approaches.
• Demonstrated utility across diverse applications including field studies and clinical trials.

Conclusions:

• Wearable sweat analysis platforms offer powerful capabilities for personalized assessment of performance, wellness, and health.
• Advancements in sensor technology and system deployment are key for broader adoption.
• These devices facilitate real-time, noninvasive health monitoring in various real-world settings.