Northwestern University professor John A. Rogers is collaborating with a broad collection of partners including Gatorade, the Seattle Mariners, the U.S. Air Force and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab to bring his wearable microfluidic sweat analytics system into widespread distribution.
The device measures sweat and sweat biomarkers accurately and in real time, allowing athletes, military personnel, fitness pros and others to monitor sweat rate and electrolyte loss, so they can keep hydrated, replenish their electrolytes and stay on top of their game.
The partnerships are aimed at further developing, testing and validating Rogers’ device, which monitors sweat loss and analyzes sweat chemistry with a simple, real-time visual readout.
Previously developed in Rogers’ Northwestern Engineering laboratory, the soft, flexible device sits on the skin and measures sweat to determine how the body responds to exercise. Launched from Rogers’ group through Northwestern’s Innovation and New Ventures Office (INVO), startup Epicore Biosystems has established large volume manufacturing capabilities for these microfluidic devices. It also has plans to co-package them with nutritional, skin health, cosmetics and sports hydration products, with additional possibilities for use in clinical medicine and rehabilitation.
Read more: New microfluidic devices help athletes and enhance physical rehab
Image Credit: Jungil Choi (Northwestern University)
