A wearable SERS-microfluidic patch for continuous monitoring of kidney health-related biomarkers in sweat

Non-invasive and real-time monitoring of biomarkers such as urea and uric acid (UA) in sweat is of great significance for comprehensive health management, especially for those with intense exercise routines or in need of continuous health tracking. However, common flexible sensors are typically designed for single measurement, which hinders the significant applications of continuous and on-demand health regulation. Here, a wearable patch utilizing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and manually manageable microfluidics has been proposed for on-demand assessment of urea and UA in sweat. Through manually controlled fluid valves, sweat can be collected directionally into different SERS sensing areas, providing up to five times of sweat sampling. DNA aptamers were employed for precise capture of the target substances, resulting in both high specificity and high sensitivity. In a proof-of-concept experiment involving two volunteers, the patch boasts faster speed and comparable accuracy to parallel clinical blood tests, and further enabled non-invasive monitoring. This strategy is expected to help in various health regulatory applications based on wearable sensing patches.