Wearable sweat biosensors have the potential to provide non-invasive molecular analysis toward predictive analytics and treatment. In this talk, I will introduce our efforts in developing wearable biosensors for non-invasive molecular analysis. Such wearables can autonomously access body fluids (e.g., human sweat) across the activities and continuously measure a broad spectrum of analytes including metabolites, nutrients, hormones, and proteins. Laser engraving and inkjet printing are used to manufacture high-performance nanobiosensors at large scale and low cost. The clinical value of our wearable systems is evaluated through various human trials toward precision nutrition, stress/mental health assessment, and chronic disease management.
Personalized healthcare is undergoing a revolution with wearable sensors that continuously monitor biomarkers, notably sweat-based ones. However, powering these devices sustainably has been challenging. We introduce a solution using a flexible perovskite solar cell (FPSC) for autonomous sweat sensors. Our FPSC wearable efficiently harvests ambient light energy, ensuring continuous monitoring even in low activity. A standout feature is its 31% power conversion efficiency in indoor light, achieved by incorporating α-methylbenzylamine (MBA) into the perovskite. Additionally, the FPSC endures bending, enhancing its suitability for wearables. Tested in real-world scenarios, our device consistently analyzed sweat biomarkers, highlighting the potential of solar-driven sensors in advancing personalized healthcare.
Electronic skin (e-skin) is expected to play a crucial role in the next generation of robotics and medical devices. However, existing e-skin-based sensing platforms primarily focus on monitoring physical parameters and rely on the power from the batteries or near field communication, which significantly hinders their broad use and sustainability toward continuous wireless sensing. Here I will introduce our recent works on flexible self-powered integrated electronic skin for multiplexed metabolic sensing in situ. These battery-free wearable sensors contain biosensors as well as highly efficient energy harvesters (such as biofuel cells and triboelectric nanogenerators) that utilize a unique integration of 0 dimensional to 3 dimensional nanomaterials to achieve remarkably high power intensity and long-term stability. Such battery-free soft wearable systems with highly efficient energy harvesting from the human body hold great promise for robotics and personalized healthcare applications.
Wearable sensors have the potential to provide rapid, non-invasive, and in-home health monitoring by real-time analyzing biomarkers in human sweat and saliva. However, most current biosensors suffer from low sensing accuracy for low-level analyte detection in biofluids and are difficult to fabricate on a large scale. In this talk, I will review our latest advances in developing fully-integrated laser-engraved graphene-based biosensors which can selectively and accurately measure a wide spectrum of sweat and saliva biomarkers including metabolites, nutrients, hormones, and proteins. The clinical value of these telemedicine platforms is evaluated through multiple human studies involving both healthy and patient populations toward metabolic monitoring and stress assessment. I will also introduce our recent work on a multiplexed wireless platform for the rapid COVID-19 test which could provide information on infection status, severity, and immunity.
Tremendous progress in synthetic micro/nanomotors has been made for potential biomedical applications. However, existing micro/nanomotor platforms are inefficient for deep tissue imaging and motion control in vivo. Here, we present a photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) guided investigation of micromotors in intestines in vivo. The micromotors enveloped in microcapsules exhibit efficient propulsion in various biofluids once released. PACT has visualized the migration of micromotor capsules toward the targeted regions in real time in vivo. The integration of the developed microrobotic system and PACT enables deep imaging and precise control of the micromotors in vivo.
Conference Committee Involvement (2)
Soft Mechatronics and Wearable Systems 2025
17 March 2025 | Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Soft Mechatronics and Wearable Systems
25 March 2024 | Long Beach, California, United States
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