Sweat & Engineering

Sweat for many of us contains a collection of data concerning our very health and engineers from the university of California Berkeley, have unravelled a way in which allows them to measure sweat composition and the rate of sweat- all at the site of excretion.

In an interview hosted by Mary Louise Kelly, the engineers made it clear that this innovative method of measuring sweat is a less intrusive alternative to the traditional method collecting of blood samples for medical tests. The convenience of sweat in medical testing is important due to how easy they are to collect at the different body sites.

The method of measuring the content of the sweat is achieved through the development of a flexible patch which is worn over the skin. Sweat then enters through a microscopic well embedded within the patch. Within the well is a sensor which provides the composition analysis of the sweat.  The information obtained includes the glucose percentage and the salt percentage of the individual. All these data are collectively sent electronically to a recording device.

Another engineer John Roger however, is working on a device which still performs the same function as the device described above but differentiates in that it removes the need for transferring information electronically. His alternative device for example will incorporate with a chemical which upon reaction with different concentration of salts, will produce something which will go from an original light pink colour to a dark red colour. Rogers device is more useful in detecting heavy metals such as mercury or cadmium within the blood, something that those who work in proximity to these elements are often exposed to.

An underlining factor is that, it allows those who suffer from a phobia of needless to access medical services.