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Wearable sweat biosensors offer compelling opportunities for improved personal health monitoring and non-invasive measurements of key biomarkers. Inexpensive device fabrication methods are necessary for scalable manufacturing of portable, disposable, and flexible sweat sensors. Furthermore, real-time sweat assessment must be analyzed to validate measurement reliability at various sweating rates. Here, we demonstrate a “smart bandage” microfluidic platform for cortisol detection and continuous glucose monitoring integrated with a synthetic skin. The low-cost, laser-cut microfluidic device is composed of an adhesive-based microchannel and solution-processed electrochemical sensors fabricated from inkjet-printed graphene and silver solutions. An antibody-derived cortisol sensor achieved a limit of detection of 10 pM and included a low-voltage electrowetting valve, validating the microfluidic sensor design under typical physiological conditions. To understand effects of perspiration rate on sensor performance, a synthetic skin was developed using soft lithography to mimic human sweat pores and sweating rates. The enzymatic glucose sensor exhibited a range of 0.2 to 1.0 mM, a limit of detection of 10 μM, and reproducible response curves at flow rates of 2.0 μL min −1 and higher when integrated with the synthetic skin, validating its relevance for human health monitoring. These results demonstrate the potential of using printed microfluidic sweat sensors as a low-cost, real-time, multi-diagnostic device for human health monitoring.
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This content will become publicly available on August 8, 2026
Stressomic: A wearable microfluidic biosensor for dynamic profiling of multiple stress hormones in sweat
Managing stress is essential for mental and physical health, yet current methods rely on subjective self-assessments or indirect physiological measurements, often lacking accuracy. Existing wearable sensors primarily target a single stress hormone, cortisol, using single-point measurements that fail to capture real-time changes and distinguish between acute and chronic stress. To address this, we present Stressomic, a wearable multiplexed microfluidic biosensor for noninvasive monitoring of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine in sweat. Stressomic integrates iontophoresis-driven sweat extraction with bursting valve-regulated microfluidic channels for continuous sampling and analysis. Gold nanodendrite–decorated laser-engraved graphene electrodes achieve picomolar-level sensitivity, enabling simultaneous detection of multiple stress hormones. Electrochemical assays and human studies demonstrate that Stressomic reliably tracks hormone fluctuations in response to physical, psychological, and pharmacological stressors. Distinct temporal patterns reveal the dynamic interplay between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. This platform enables continuous, multiplexed stress profiling, offering opportunities for early detection of maladaptive responses, personalized stress management, and deeper insights into stress biology.
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- PAR ID:
- 10627364
- Publisher / Repository:
- AAAS
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Science Advances
- Volume:
- 11
- Issue:
- 32
- ISSN:
- 2375-2548
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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