However, there is much scope for improvement, in terms of efficient collection of sweat, accurate and wide-range colorimetric detection of biochemicals, local measurements of sweat loss for different sweat rates, and expansion of biomarker targets.

Addressing these challenges, an international team of researchers, led by Dr. Da Som Yang, Assistant Professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Chung-Ang University, has recently explored and demonstrated various promising 3D microfluidic structures, surface chemistries, interface designs, and colorimetric chemical reagents for high performance. Their findings were made available online and published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials on 16 July 2025.

Dr. Yang explains the motivation behind their work. “I have long been interested in soft electronics and microfluidic technologies that directly interface with the human body. Sweat, in particular, is a noninvasive biofluid rich in physiological information. However, the concentrations of biomarkers in sweat can change dynamically over time, especially following the intake of food or nutritional supplements.