Wearable Graphene Biosensors for Microfluidic Sweat Analysis

Wearable sweat biosensors have the potential to provide non-invasive molecular analysis toward predictive analytics and treatment. However, it is highly challenging to accurately detect low-concentration analytes in situ and manufacture high-performance flexible biosensors at large scale and low cost. In this talk, I will introduce our efforts in developing microfluidic wearable sweat biosensors based on laser-engraved graphene. Through materials and sensor design innovations, such wireless wearables can autonomously access human sweat via iontophoresis across activities and seamlessly measure a broad spectrum of analytes including metabolites, nutrients, hormones, proteins, and drugs. The clinical value of our wearable systems is evaluated through various human trials involving healthy and patient populations toward precision nutrition, mental health assessment, gout management, and systemic inflammation monitoring. I will also discuss our research progress on energy harvesting from the human body and the environment to realize battery-free wireless wearable biosensing. These wearable technologies could open the door to a wide range of personalized monitoring and diagnostic applications.