Autonomous Sweating Wearable Platform for Bilirubin Sensing Based on Thermal Stimulation

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Bilirubin (BR) is a key biomarker for liver diseases like jaundice and hepatitis, typically measured via blood tests.
• Noninvasive sweat monitoring offers an alternative but faces challenges in sweat collection and sensor stability.
• Sedentary individuals often struggle to produce sufficient sweat for continuous monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative autonomous wearable platform for noninvasive bilirubin monitoring using sweat.
• To address limitations of existing sweat-based biosensors, including stability, selectivity, and sweat acquisition.
• To enable convenient and continuous monitoring of bilirubin levels at rest.

Main Methods:

• An autonomous heating film was integrated for controlled sweat extraction.
• A skin-interfaced microfluidic system was designed for efficient sweat sampling.
• MXene/MWCNT-modified flexible electrodes were utilized for sensitive electrochemical detection of bilirubin.

Main Results:

• The platform demonstrated effective autonomous sweat sampling and reliable on-skin bilirubin detection.
• The MXene/MWCNT electrodes enabled precise electrochemical sensing of trace bilirubin levels.
• The integrated system proved capable of accurate biomarker detection even at rest.

Conclusions:

• The developed autonomous sweating wearable platform offers a promising solution for noninvasive bilirubin monitoring.
• This technology provides a novel approach to sweat biomarker analysis for continuous health assessment.
• The platform enhances convenience and accessibility for monitoring liver health indicators.