Composite Nanofiber Membrane-Based Microfluidic Fluorescence Sensors for Sweat Analysis

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Wearable microfluidic chips are essential for sweat analysis but often suffer from sweat accumulation, impacting sensor performance and user comfort.
• Existing materials like poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and paper-based chips face challenges in managing sweat at the skin-sensor interface.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a composite nanofiber membrane (CNMF)-based microfluidic chip for improved in situ sweat collection and analysis.
• To address the issue of sweat accumulation in wearable sensors, enhancing both wearing comfort and sensing stability.

Main Methods:

• Integration of a CNMF with directional water transport capability with patterned PDMS to create microfluidic chips.
• Development of a CNMF-based microfluidic fluorescence sensor for multiplexed sweat analysis.
• Utilization of a portable 3D-printed device for visual signal readout.

Main Results:

• The CNMF-based microfluidic chip demonstrated directional sweat transport, effectively preventing accumulation at the skin-sensor interface.
• The system facilitated a comfortable skin microenvironment by managing sweat transfer from hydrophobic to hydrophilic surfaces.
• The microfluidic fluorescence sensor showed excellent reliability in collecting and analyzing multiple targets in human sweat.

Conclusions:

• The proposed CNMF microfluidic chip offers a promising solution for comfortable and reliable wearable sweat sensing.
• This work provides valuable insights for designing advanced microfluidic systems with enhanced user experience and analytical performance.