2020-887 A Programmable Epidermal Microfluidic Valving System for Wearable Biofluid Management and Contextual Biomarker Analysis

SUMMARY

Researchers in the UCLA Electrical and Computer Engineering Department have devised a programmable epidermal microfluid valving system for high frequency, real-time biofluid sampling, routing, and compartmentalization in wearable bioanalytical platforms.

BACKGROUND

Wearable biomarker sensing technologies allow for the frequent, longitudinal, and comprehensive assessment of an individual’s health. Current wearable biomarker sensor technologies can perform electrochemical and colorimetric sensing for on-body detection but these sensors rely on passive collection of biofluid. This passive collection makes the sensors susceptible to biofluid flow rate changes and incapable of performing robust bioanalytical operations (e.g., incubation). New biomarker sensing technologies that allow for the active collection of biofluid would expand current wearable bioanalytic applications and reliability.

INNOVATION

UCLA researchers have developed a wearable and programmable active biofluidic collection and management system for biomarker analysis. The system actively and autonomously routes and compartmentalizes biofluids in addressable sensing chambers. The active biofluid control in this system can create unprecedented wearable bioanalytical capabilities at both the sensor level (eliminating the confounding effect of variation on biofluid flow rate on sensor response) and the system level (facilitating context-based sensor selection/protection). Through integration with a wireless circuit board and bilateral communication with consumer electronics (e.g., smartwatch), the on-body biomarker data acquisition and data display can be achieved.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS