This wearable sensor can detect stress level from sweat

 

 

We are particularly interested in sweat sensing, because it offers non-invasive and continuous monitoring of various biomarkers for a range of physiological conditions," said lead author, Onur Parlak from Stanford University, US.
 

This offers a novel approach for the early detection of various diseases and evaluation of sports performance," Parlak added, in the paper published in the journal Science Advances.

If the prototype version of the wearable device becomes a reality, it could allow people with an imbalance to monitor their own levels at home, the researchers said.

A fast-working test like this may also reveal the emotional state of young, even non-verbal, children who might not otherwise be able to communicate that they feel stress, they noted.

The team developed a stretchy, rectangular sensor around a membrane that specifically binds only to cortisol. Stuck to the skin, it sucks in sweat passively through holes in the bottom of the patch. A waterproof layer protects the patch from contamination.

The sweat pools in a reservoir, which is topped by the cortisol-sensitive membrane.

Charged ions like sodium or potassium, also found in sweat, pass through the membrane unless they are blocked by cortisol. It's those backed up charged ions the sensor detects, not the cortisol itself.