A Step Forward for Smart Clothes─Fabric-Based Microfluidic Sensors for Wearable Health Monitoring
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Date
2022-12-01
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Citation of Original Publication
Zhang, Tao et al. "A Step Forward for Smart Clothes─Fabric-Based Microfluidic Sensors for Wearable Health Monitoring." ACS Sensors (1 December 2022). https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.2c01827.
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This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Sensors, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.2c01827
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Abstract
We report the first demonstration of fabric-based microfluidics for wearable sensing. A new technology to develop microfluidics on fabrics, as a part of undergarment, is described here. Compared to conventional microfluidics from polydimethylsiloxane, fabric-based microfluidics are simple to make, robust, and suitable for efficient sweat delivery. Specifically, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) films with precut microfluidic patterns were infused through fabrics to form hydrophobic areas in a specially controlled sandwich structure. Experimental tests and simulations confirmed the sweat delivery efficiency of the microfluidics. Electrodes were screen-printed onto the fabric-based microfluidic. A novel wearable potentiometer based on Arduino was also developed as the transducer and signal readouts, which was low-cost, standardized, open-source, and capable of wireless data transfer. We applied the sensor system standalone or as a module of a T-shirt to quantify [Ca2+] in a wearer’s sweat, with physiological and accurate results generated. Overall, this work represents a critical step in turning regular undergarments into biochemically smart platforms for health monitoring, which will broadly benefit human healthcare.