Wrist-Worn Sweat Sensor Measures Multiple Metabolites, Electrolytes in Skin Sweat

Wearable health trackers are all the rage these days, but in many ways they’re still glorified pedometers. Some measure the heart rate, or even blood pressure, but even at that they’re not great at. At the University of California, Berkeley researchers have developed an impressive new wearable sensor that can measure metabolites such as glucose and lactate, and electrolytes including sodium and potassium ions, within the sweat on the skin. The researchers report on the device in the latestNature, where they describe how the integration of various electronic components was done to achieve the ability to measure so many different molecule types.

The device self-calibrates against the temperature of the skin, an important step that is more difficult than it sounds. It then electrically measures the sweat it comes in contact with and uses Bluetooth to relay its data to a smartphone, tablet, or other device that can display the results.

The technology can be integrated into upcoming wearable devices and will certainly help people, especially athletes, keep better track of their body.