Created by a team featuring researchers from Canadian institutions McMaster University and the University of Waterloo, the Wearable Aptalyzer uses an array of hydrogel needles that penetrate deeply enough to reach the interstitial fluid beneath the skin, but not far enough to reach the blood vessels or nerves.
The patch gathers and sends information about markers in the fluid to an electronic device such as a smartphone, creating an ongoing record of patterns in the rise and fall of critical biomarkers.
Once developed for clinical use, it will allow health professionals to access current medical information that is available after blood tests and lab work.
According to the team, the new technology could make monitoring the markers of specific diseases and conditions as simple as tracking pulse, blood pressure and other vital signs. The researchers describe the work in Advanced Materials.
“This technology can provide real-time information about both chronic and acute health conditions, allowing caregivers to act more quickly and with greater certainty when they see trouble,” said corresponding author Professor Leyla Soleymani, from McMasters University.
“The Wearable Aptalyzer is a general platform, meaning it can measure any biomarkers of interest, ranging from diabetes to cardiac biomarkers,” said corresponding author Mahla Poudineh, an assistant professor at Waterloo. “Continuous health monitoring doesn't just help catch diseases early and track how treatments are working. It also helps us understand how diseases happen, filling in important gaps in our knowledge that need attention.”
A user would apply and remove the patch much like a small bandage held in place with barely visible, soft hooks. The convenience may appeal to people living with diabetes and others who test themselves by drawing samples of blood or by using solid monitoring patches with metal needles that penetrate deeper and rely on less specific electrodes.
The team said the greatest promise of the technology could lie in its ability to produce weeks’ worth of meaningful results at a time, and to transmit data to electronic devices that experts can read without sophisticated equipment.
Among the other potential applications, the Wearable Aptalyzer can make it possible to read and send data that signals cardiac events in real time, making it a potentially valuable tool for monitoring patients in ambulances and emergency rooms, and during treatment. The same technology can be adapted to monitor the progress and treatment of many chronic illnesses, including cancers, the researchers said.
The next steps in developing the technology include human trials and regulatory approvals. The researchers are seeking partners to help commercialise the technology.
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