A Wearable Enzymatic Uric Acid Sensor on Microfluidics-on-Fabrics with Octadecane (C18) Modification

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Wearable sensing platforms are crucial for continuous health monitoring.
• Existing wearable sweat-sensing devices often lack comfort and can cause skin irritation.
• Fabric-based microfluidics offer a promising alternative for integrated wearable sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel wearable chemical sensing platform by integrating microfluidic devices onto garments.
• To enhance the functionality of fabric-based microfluidics using octadecane (C18) modification for improved enzyme capture and stability.
• To demonstrate the platform's capability for analyzing sweat metabolites, specifically uric acid, in a real-world setting.

Main Methods:

• Fabric-based microfluidic devices were fabricated and integrated into garments.
• Octadecane (C18) modification was applied to the microfluidic detection zones.
• Enzyme immobilization (uricase) and stability were assessed under continuous flow washing.
• A microfluidic-on-hospital gown was developed for sweat uric acid quantification.
• Results were validated using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS).

Main Results:

• C18 modification significantly improved enzyme capture efficiency and stability in fabric microfluidics.
• Immobilized enzymes showed minimal loss even under rigorous washing conditions.
• Uricase activity remained stable during storage for weeks, indicating potential for mass production.
• The microfluidic-on-hospital gown accurately quantified sweat uric acid levels.
• LC-MS validation confirmed the accuracy of the developed sensing platform.

Conclusions:

• This research introduces a novel, comfortable, and robust wearable chemical sensing platform based on fabric-based microfluidics.
• The C18 modification is critical for enhancing enzyme stability and performance in enzymatic assays for sweat analysis.
• The developed technology represents a significant advancement for non-invasive molecular sensing in sweat, with potential for widespread diagnostic applications.