Wearable Technology Noninvasively Samples, Analyzes Sweat Markers

While sweat-based testing dates back more than 50 years as a screening tool for cystic fibrosis, sweat has never gained significant momentum as a non-invasive alternative to blood, largely due to the limitations of fluid collection. But with technological advances in microfluidics, nanotechnology, miniaturized electronics, and cloud-based computing, Eccrine Systems (Cincinnati, Ohio) believes sweat holds great promise as the best noninvasive bodily fluid for the real-time assessment of robust biomarker data. “We recognize there are many well-known companies vying for the attention of broad consumer markets for wearable devices,” says Eccrine cofounder Robert Beech in a press release, regarding the company’s strategic position. “In direct contrast, our efforts are aimed at specialized and regulated medical and business markets that expect proof of data accuracy and chronological assurance, plus credible scientific studies related to physiological and economic outcomes.” The company was formed in 2013, but work on the sweat analysis platform began five years ago in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Ohio. The project was undertaken to identify a convenient way to monitor an airmen’s alertness, stress, and other physical changes including dehydration during long flight missions. The disposable electronic patch-sensor system […]