A non-contact wearable device for monitoring epidermal molecular flux

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Shin, Jaeho; Song, Joseph Woojin; Flavin, Matthew Thomas; Cho, Seunghee; Li, Shupeng; Tan, Ansen; Pyun, Kyung Rok; Huang, Aaron G.; Wang, Huifeng; Jeong, Seongmin; Madsen, Kenneth E.; Trueb, Jacob; Kim, Mirae; Nguyen, Katelynn; Yang, Angela; Hsu, Yaching; Sung, Winnie; Lee, Jiwon; Phyo, Sooyeol; Kim, Ji-Hoon; Banks, Anthony; Chang, Jan-Kai; Paller, Amy S.; Huang, Yonggang; Ameer, Guillermo A.; Rogers, John A.
• 署名单位: Northwestern University; Korea Institute of Science & Technology (KIST); Northwestern University; Northwestern University; Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI); University System of Georgia; Georgia Institute of Technology; Northwestern University; University of Illinois System; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Northwestern University; Feinberg School of Medicine; Korea Institute of Science & Technology (KIST); Korea Institute of Science & Technology (KIST); Korea University; Kyung Hee University; Northwestern University; Northwestern University; Northwestern University; Northwestern University; Northwestern University; Northwestern University; Northwestern University; Northwestern University; Northwestern University
• 刊物名称: Nature
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0028-1074
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08825-2
• 发表日期: 2025-04-10
• 关键词: volatile organic-compounds; transepidermal water-loss; skin barrier function; diffusion-coefficients; carbon-dioxide; turnover; disease; SYSTEM; HEALTH

摘要

Existing wearable technologies rely on physical coupling to the body to establish optical1,2, fluidic3,4, thermal5,6 and/or mechanical7,8 measurement interfaces. Here we present a class of wearable device platforms that instead relies on physical decoupling to define an enclosed chamber immediately adjacent to the skin surface. Streams of vapourized molecular substances that pass out of or into the skin alter the properties of the microclimate defined in this chamber in ways that can be precisely quantified using an integrated collection of wireless sensors. A programmable, bistable valve dynamically controls access to the surrounding environment, thereby creating a transient response that can be quantitatively related to the inward and outward fluxes of the targeted species by analysing the time-dependent readings from the sensors. The systems reported here offer unique capabilities in measuring the flux of water vapour, volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide from various locations on the body, each with distinct relevance to clinical care and/or exposure to hazardous vapours. Studies of healing processes associated with dermal wounds in models of healthy and diabetic mice and of responses in models using infected wounds reveal characteristic flux variations that provide important insights, particularly in scenarios in which the non-contact operation of the devices avoids potential damage to fragile tissues.