Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Wearable sweat biosensors enable noninvasive molecular monitoring, but reliable and comfortable on-demand sweat induction remains challenging. We developed a soft, skin-conformal wearable device that integrates ultrasound-assisted sweat generation with electrochemical sensing. Low-frequency ultrasound enhanced transdermal delivery of carbachol from a hydrogel reservoir, inducing localized sweat secretion under resting conditions without electrical current or skin penetration. Under the matched 15-min experimental window used here, ultrasound-induced sweating showed lower observed skin irritation and more favorable user-rated comfort than the tested iontophoresis setting. Integrated sensors measured uric acid, pH and K+ in ultrasound-induced sweat, and sweat uric acid showed a positive correlation with serum levels in a preliminary human study. These results support wearable ultrasound as a low-irritation strategy for controlled sweat generation and downstream biomarker tracking under resting conditions. Reliable sweat induction remains a challenge for wearable sweat biosensing. Here, the authors develop a skin-conformal wearable device that uses ultrasound to induce sweat under resting conditions for electrochemical biomarker tracking.
Source: Nature Communications
Authors: Litong Chen, Benxing Su, Geng Zhong, Jing Wang, Yongxiang Ji, Zhongzeng Zhou, Xuecheng He, Tailin Xu
Institutions: Shenzhen University, University of California San Diego
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
Award: G1892080161
OpenAlex ID: W7162802259