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Research Article

Soft, skin-interfaced microfluidic systems with integrated immunoassays, fluorometric sensors, and impedance measurement capabilities

View ORCID ProfileSungbong Kim, Boram Lee, View ORCID ProfileJonathan T. Reeder, View ORCID ProfileSeon Hee Seo, View ORCID ProfileSung-Uk Lee, View ORCID ProfileAurélie Hourlier-Fargette, Joonchul Shin, Yurina Sekine, View ORCID ProfileHyoyoung Jeong, Yong Suk Oh, Alexander J. Aranyosi, Stephen P. Lee, Jeffrey B. Model, Geumbee Lee, Min-Ho Seo, View ORCID ProfileSung Soo Kwak, Seongbin Jo, Gyungmin Park, Sunghyun Han, Inkyu Park, View ORCID ProfileHyo-Il Jung, View ORCID ProfileRoozbeh Ghaffari, Jahyun Koo, Paul V. Braun, and John A. Rogers
PNAS November 10, 2020 117 (45) 27906-27915; first published October 26, 2020; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2012700117
Sungbong Kim
aQuerrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
bDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
cMaterials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
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  • ORCID record for Sungbong Kim
Boram Lee
dDepartment of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea;
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Jonathan T. Reeder
aQuerrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
eDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
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  • ORCID record for Jonathan T. Reeder
Seon Hee Seo
fNano Hybrid Technology Research Center, Electrical Materials Research Division, Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, Changwon 51543, Republic of Korea;
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  • ORCID record for Seon Hee Seo
Sung-Uk Lee
gAccident Tolerant Fuels Technology Development Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon 34057, Republic of Korea;
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  • ORCID record for Sung-Uk Lee
Aurélie Hourlier-Fargette
aQuerrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
eDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
hInstitut Charles Sadron UPR22, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France;
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  • ORCID record for Aurélie Hourlier-Fargette
Joonchul Shin
iCenter for Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea;
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Yurina Sekine
jMaterials Sciences Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan;
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Hyoyoung Jeong
aQuerrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
eDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
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  • ORCID record for Hyoyoung Jeong
Yong Suk Oh
aQuerrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
kDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea;
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Alexander J. Aranyosi
aQuerrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
lResearch and Development Division, Epicore Biosystems, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139;
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Stephen P. Lee
aQuerrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
lResearch and Development Division, Epicore Biosystems, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139;
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Jeffrey B. Model
aQuerrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
lResearch and Development Division, Epicore Biosystems, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139;
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Geumbee Lee
aQuerrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
eDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
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Min-Ho Seo
aQuerrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
eDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
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Sung Soo Kwak
aQuerrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
eDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
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  • ORCID record for Sung Soo Kwak
Seongbin Jo
cMaterials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
mDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
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Gyungmin Park
cMaterials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
mDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
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Sunghyun Han
cMaterials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
mDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
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Inkyu Park
kDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea;
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Hyo-Il Jung
nSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea;
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  • ORCID record for Hyo-Il Jung
Roozbeh Ghaffari
aQuerrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
lResearch and Development Division, Epicore Biosystems, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139;
oDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
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  • ORCID record for Roozbeh Ghaffari
  • For correspondence: rooz@northwestern.edu jahyunkoo@korea.ac.kr pbraun@illinois.edu jrogers@northwestern.edu
Jahyun Koo
pSchool of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea;
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  • For correspondence: rooz@northwestern.edu jahyunkoo@korea.ac.kr pbraun@illinois.edu jrogers@northwestern.edu
Paul V. Braun
bDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
cMaterials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
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  • For correspondence: rooz@northwestern.edu jahyunkoo@korea.ac.kr pbraun@illinois.edu jrogers@northwestern.edu
John A. Rogers
aQuerrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
lResearch and Development Division, Epicore Biosystems, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139;
qDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Querrey Simpson Institute and Feinberg Medical School, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
rDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Querrey Simpson Institute and Feinberg Medical School, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
sDepartment of Neurological Surgery, Querrey Simpson Institute and Feinberg Medical School, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
tDepartment of Chemistry, Querrey Simpson Institute and Feinberg Medical School, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
uDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Querrey Simpson Institute and Feinberg Medical School, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
vDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Querrey Simpson Institute and Feinberg Medical School, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
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  • For correspondence: rooz@northwestern.edu jahyunkoo@korea.ac.kr pbraun@illinois.edu jrogers@northwestern.edu
  1. Edited by Klavs F. Jensen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, and approved September 25, 2020 (received for review June 18, 2020)

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Significance

Skin-interfaced, wireless devices for clinical-grade monitoring of physiological parameters are of growing interest for uses that range from healthcare to sports performance. This paper introduces a multifunctional skin-mounted microfluidic platform for capture and biomarker analysis of microliter volumes of sweat, a biofluid that can be collected noninvasively, with potential relevance in biophysical sensing. The focus is on colorimetric and digital assessments of a collection of parameters related to stress, including concentrations of vitamin C, cortisol, and glucose, along with quantitative measurements of sweat rate and galvanic skin response. The results represent important additions to a portfolio of emerging capabilities in skin-interfaced technologies for physiological monitoring, with particular relevance to conditions that follow from unhealthy levels of physical and mental stress.

Abstract

Soft microfluidic systems that capture, store, and perform biomarker analysis of microliter volumes of sweat, in situ, as it emerges from the surface of the skin, represent an emerging class of wearable technology with powerful capabilities that complement those of traditional biophysical sensing devices. Recent work establishes applications in the real-time characterization of sweat dynamics and sweat chemistry in the context of sports performance and healthcare diagnostics. This paper presents a collection of advances in biochemical sensors and microfluidic designs that support multimodal operation in the monitoring of physiological signatures directly correlated to physical and mental stresses. These wireless, battery-free, skin-interfaced devices combine lateral flow immunoassays for cortisol, fluorometric assays for glucose and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and digital tracking of skin galvanic responses. Systematic benchtop evaluations and field studies on human subjects highlight the key features of this platform for the continuous, noninvasive monitoring of biochemical and biophysical correlates of the stress state.

  • healthcare
  • soft materials
  • epidermal devices
  • sweat cortisol
  • galvanic skin response

Footnotes

  • ↵1S.K., B.L., J.T.R., and S.H.S. contributed equally to this work.

  • ↵2Present address: Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403.

  • ↵3To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: rooz{at}northwestern.edu, jahyunkoo{at}korea.ac.kr, pbraun{at}illinois.edu, or jrogers{at}northwestern.edu.
  • Author contributions: S.K., B.L., J.T.R., S.H.S., R.G., J.K., P.V.B., and J.A.R. designed research; S.K., J.T.R., S.H.S., S.-U.L., A.H.-F., J.S., H.J., Y.S.O., G.L., M.-H.S., S.S.K., S.J., G.P., S.H., I.P., H.-I.J., and J.K. performed research; S.K., B.L., J.T.R., J.S., Y.S., H.J., Y.S.O., A.J.A., S.P.L., J.B.M., G.L., M.-H.S., S.S.K., I.P., H.-I.J., R.G., J.K., P.V.B., and J.A.R. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; S.K., B.L., S.H.S., S.-U.L., A.H.-F., J.S., Y.S., Y.S.O., A.J.A., S.P.L., J.B.M., G.L., M.-H.S., S.S.K., S.J., G.P., S.H., I.P., H.-I.J., R.G., J.K., P.V.B., and J.A.R. analyzed data; and S.K., B.L., J.T.R., S.H.S., A.H.-F., Y.S., Y.S.O., A.J.A., S.P.L., J.B.M., S.J., R.G., J.K., P.V.B., and J.A.R. wrote the paper.

  • Competing interest statement: J.A.R., J.T.R., Y.S., and S.K. are inventors on a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent application filed by the board of trustees of Northwestern University (PCT/US2018/035661), and J.A.R., J.T.R., S.K., Y.S., and A.H.-F. are inventors on a PCT patent application filed by the board of trustees of Northwestern University (PCT/US2018/035738). R.G., A.J.A., J.B.M., S.P.L., and J.A.R. are cofounders of Epicore Biosystems Inc., which pursues commercialization of epifluidic devices.

  • This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.

  • This article contains supporting information online at https://www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.2012700117/-/DCSupplemental.

Data Availability.

All study data are included in the article and SI Appendix.

  • Copyright © 2020 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

This open access article is distributed under Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY).

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Soft, skin-interfaced microfluidic systems with integrated immunoassays, fluorometric sensors, and impedance measurement capabilities
Sungbong Kim, Boram Lee, Jonathan T. Reeder, Seon Hee Seo, Sung-Uk Lee, Aurélie Hourlier-Fargette, Joonchul Shin, Yurina Sekine, Hyoyoung Jeong, Yong Suk Oh, Alexander J. Aranyosi, Stephen P. Lee, Jeffrey B. Model, Geumbee Lee, Min-Ho Seo, Sung Soo Kwak, Seongbin Jo, Gyungmin Park, Sunghyun Han, Inkyu Park, Hyo-Il Jung, Roozbeh Ghaffari, Jahyun Koo, Paul V. Braun, John A. Rogers
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Nov 2020, 117 (45) 27906-27915; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2012700117

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Soft, skin-interfaced microfluidic systems with integrated immunoassays, fluorometric sensors, and impedance measurement capabilities
Sungbong Kim, Boram Lee, Jonathan T. Reeder, Seon Hee Seo, Sung-Uk Lee, Aurélie Hourlier-Fargette, Joonchul Shin, Yurina Sekine, Hyoyoung Jeong, Yong Suk Oh, Alexander J. Aranyosi, Stephen P. Lee, Jeffrey B. Model, Geumbee Lee, Min-Ho Seo, Sung Soo Kwak, Seongbin Jo, Gyungmin Park, Sunghyun Han, Inkyu Park, Hyo-Il Jung, Roozbeh Ghaffari, Jahyun Koo, Paul V. Braun, John A. Rogers
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Nov 2020, 117 (45) 27906-27915; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2012700117
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