2. Track electrolyte changes with this wearable
University of California Berkeley researchers have developed a wearable sweat sensor that can monitor electrolyte levels in real time and track diabetes risk.
The wearable combines innovative materials, sensor technology and integrated circuits to measure rapid fluctuations in electrolytes, metabolites and heavy metal concentrations in sweat.
Thin plastics embedded in headbands or wristbands monitor the metabolic markers in real-time. Half a dozen chemical markers in sweat are measured through the sensors that are attached to a flexible electronic board with silicon integrated circuits.
The sensors on the wristband and headband are chemically-coated electrodes that can measure voltage or current as a proxy for electrolyte concentration.
A circuit board converts the voltage and sensor measurements to an electrolyte or metabolite concentration readout, according to a press release.
Initial research has shown that sweat could be a reliable way to continuously measure glucose levels to become one of the first non-invasive and inexpensive home tests.