A potentiometric wearable sweat sensor

Unmet Need:
The current method for measurement of chloride ion concentration in sweat in CF patients involves a visit to a clinic to collect a relatively large volume of sweat that can be analyzed by a conventional electrochemical reference electrode.  In this invention, we describe a wearable sensor to reliably measure the concentration of chloride ions in sweat. The device geometry and materials are selected to minimize transport and hence enable accurate measurements over extended time periods.

Technical Overview:
Sweat is a non-invasively accessed bio-fluid that contains information on health state.  Recently, numerous potentiometric sweat sensors to measure the concentration of components in a sweat have been reported. Among numerous sweat components, chloride ion concentration is a marker for diagnosis and clinical management of cystic fibrosis (CF).  We have developed a wearable sensor for measurement of chloride ion concentration in sweat that could be used for diagnosis and clinical management of CF patients, and could be used as a wearable fitness sensor.
A problem with miniaturization of potentiometric ion sensors is that transport of ions from the reference solution to the measurement sample (sweat) results in a change in the potential of the reference electrode and hence an error in the measured ion concentration.  For this reason many devices are only capable of accurate measurement for a short period of time.  This invention overcomes that limitation.

Stage of Development:
Head-to-head comparison with state of the art devices shows more accurate measurement of chloride ion concentration in sweat of human subjects.

Publication:
Unpublished.
 

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