Thermoresponsive dynamic wet-adhesive epidermal interface for motion-robust multiplexed sweat biosensing

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Wearable sweat sensors enable noninvasive health monitoring via multiplexed biomarker analysis.
• Chronic hydration at the skin interface causes adhesive delamination, leading to signal loss and limiting clinical reliability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a thermodynamically adaptive polymer interface for wearable sweat sensors to overcome adhesion challenges.
• To enhance the clinical reliability of continuous, real-time sweat biomarker detection.

Main Methods:

• Engineered a polymer interface with mussel-inspired catechol moieties, hydrophobic acrylates, and N-isopropylacrylamide for thermal responsiveness.
• Developed a wet-adhesive multielectrode (WAME) sweat sensor system integrating the dynamic adhesive with flexible multielectrode arrays.
• Demonstrated temperature-dependent adhesion, maintaining attachment at physiological temperatures and weakening below the LCST (~32°C).

Main Results:

• The WAME system enabled continuous, real-time multiplexed detection of pH, Na+, K+, and lactate during vigorous physical activity.
• The thermoresponsive interface maintained robust skin attachment and signal stability, adapting to motion and hydration.
• Achieved reliable adhesion and signal integrity, overcoming the adhesion-reliability dichotomy in epidermal electronics.

Conclusions:

• The developed thermoresponsive interface significantly improves the reliability of wearable sweat sensors for long-term monitoring.
• This technology paves the way for the clinical translation of advanced wearable biosensing platforms.
• The WAME system offers a promising solution for continuous, noninvasive health diagnostics during physical exertion.