Soft wearable microfluidic patch design and sensing strategies
The wearable microfluidic patch technology introduced here involves multilayered stacks of thin-film polymers that contain intricate microfluidic channels created using laser and die cutting techniques. The network of microchannels and assay wells are created using roll-to-roll processing of polymeric rolls of materials, allowing for rapid (~1000 patches/min) and low-cost manufacturing of soft conformal microfluidic constructs, as an alternative to silicone-based mold casting techniques. The microfluidic channels are composed of hydrophobic polymeric materials that route sweat by exploiting the natural pressure associated with eccrine sweat excretion. Figure 1A shows the multilayered microfluidics, dye and bioassay reservoirs, the top graphics layer with color reference stripes, and a subjacent skin adhesive layer, which collectively define the low-modulus features of the flexible sticker-like patch. Microchannel 1 has the capacity to collect ~130 μl of sweat from a defined sweat collection region (38.5 mm2 and 7 mm diameter). An orange dye mixes with sweat to make propagation along the channel highly visible, allowing rapid assessment and measurement of sweat volume (Fig. 1A, inset). In contrast, microchannel 2 has a smaller capacity (~30 μl) and collection area (12.6 mm2 and 4 mm diameter) designed to support a colorimetric reaction between excreted sweat entering the microchannel and deposited chemical reagents for analysis of [Cl−]. Figure 1B shows a representative example of the microfluidic patch (without the top graphics layer) skin-mounted on the ventral forearm before exercise begins. During exercise, microchannels 1 and 2 capture and mix sweat as shown in Fig. 1C. The spatial extent of orange sweat capture in microchannel 1 and the purple color intensity in microchannel 2 provide a measure of local sweat excretion volume and sweat [Cl−], respectively. Figure 1D shows an optical image of the microfluidic patch on another subject with defined vein contours on the ventral forearm. The microfluidic patch intimately conforms to the surface of the skin without causing irritation around curvilinear regions or in the presence of heavy sweat excretion. The thin geometry (~680 μm) and low bending stiffness of the device support mechanical deformations (Fig. 1E), aiding wearability during intense physical activities.
