Wearable biosensors

Pasche, S., Angeloni, S., Ischer, R., Liley, M., Luprano, J., Voirin, G., 2008. Wearable biosensors for monitoring wound healing. Advances in Science and Technology 57, 80—87. 

Intelligent tattoos, patches, and other wearable biosensors... 

Vital signals of wearers are collected by the wearable biosensors. Through the mobile telemedical terminal (such as a smartphone), information coupled with location is transmitted to health care providers, family members, and optional emergency services. The health care provider evaluates the health status of the wearers and provides health maintenance and improvement of feedbacks. 

Figure 6.1 A typical telemedical network with the incorporation of wearable biosensors.

Figure 6.2 Wearable biosensors for epidermal glucose and lactate assessments, (a) The electrochemical reactions involved in glucose and lactate measurements, (b) Real-time noninvasive lactate sensing in human perspiration during exercise events using a flexible printed temporary-transfer tattoo electrochemical biosensor that conforms to the wearer s skin (Adapted with permission from Jia, W., Bandodkar, A.J., Valdes-Ramirez, G., Windmiller, J.R., Yang, Z, Ramirez, J-, Chan, G., Wang, J., 2013. Electrochemical tattoo biosensors for real-time noninvasive lactate monitoring in human perspiration. Anal. Chem. 85, 6553-6560 Copyright (2013) American Chemical Society.).

Figure 6.4 Microfluidics in wearable biosensors, (a) The photolithography method to produce microfluidic channels by nsing negative photoresist SU-8. (b) Fused silica embedded microfluidic channels fabricated by spatiotemporally focusing the femtosecond laser beam (He, F, Xu, H., Cheng, Y, Ni, J., Xiong, H., Xu, Z., Sugioka, K., Midorikawa, K., 2010. Fabrication of microfluidic channels with a circular cross section using spatiotemporally focused femtosecond laser pulses. Opt. Lett 35,1106-1108). (c) A powerless epidermal pH sensor based on microfluidics (Benito-Lopez, F., Coyle, S., Byrne, R., O toole, C., Barry, C., Diamond, D., 2010. Simple Barcode System Based on lorwgels for Real lime pH-Sweat Monitoring, pp. 291-296).

Figure 6.5 Incorporation of conductive wires into textiles for wearable biosensors (http //dx.doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-005135763). (a) PETEX hybrid fabric, (b) Electrical circuits based on PETEX fabric, (c) The establishment of connection between crossing wires involves three steps, coating removal and wire cut, applying of conductive adhesive, and epoxy resin...

This chapter provides an overview of recent developments of implantable and wearable biosensors. Both label-free and label-based biosensors are being studied and developed for detection and measuranent of biological parameters. Label-based biosensors... 

The recent developments of the wireless implantable and wearable biosensors for POC applications enable dedicated patient health management. The future trends for POC biosensors outline the need for smaller and flexible integrated systems, new biocompatible materials applicable for different applications, new packaging techniques, energy-efficient wireless systems, improved antenna designs, and efficient wireless power transfer and energy-harvesting techniques. 

As mentioned in the previous section, to integrate biosensors into the POC concept, portable, practical, fast, and sensitive biosensor systems must be developed. In this manner, microfluidic analytical platforms and LOCs are two systems that suit this approach. Systems like wearable biosensors and microarrays will not be discussed in this chapter Instead, application of medical electrochemical biosensors to LOC platforms will be discussed. 

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