Most fitness bracelets, even the ‌ §most sophisticated fitnes↕ γs tracking bracelets on✘σ®¥ the market, are not just•÷φ counting your steps or measuring π™•☆your heart rate. But rese±​λ≤archers have developed an intellig♣σ≈ent bracelet that can do more: it δ¶9;s built into a headba♠ ↔φnd or wristband that monit↕εβ®ors chemicals in body sweat, can be use≈©♥d to noninvasively assess m♠ε÷edical conditions, identify¶  drug abuse, or help coεπ≥aches and trainers optimi∑↔ze the performance of♠  elite athletes, say scienti×∑&sts.

Wearing electronic smart Bracele±€₽t health test

Wearable electronics may σ₹↕¥be a fad in health awareness, but ±↕the functions of these devices, man✔ y of which are worn on the wr₩Ωist like smart bracelets are>™♣≈ usually limited to calori£₽∞→e burning based on heart rate or t£♥ravel distance. But every‍•♥ active person has a lot of inform✔σδation to do: sweat. Human sweat αεis full of material that b ∏☆etrays the internal material.

We can make full use of sweat infor✔$mation. The device ha♥‌≤σs two main parts. Some of them are madeφ★♥ of flexible plastic ✔↕₽s and contain smart han Ωd rings with custom se←'nsors that measure sodium and potassium§​Ω ions, key electrolytes∞♣ for sweat production,ε• and concentrations of gluλ>₹πcose and lactic acid, allowing a beσ<tter understanding of what happens©↑ in human cells. At high levels in c×♣←ells, lactic acid, a negati∞×vely charged ion from lactic acid, a♦βΩccumulates when the cell lack©↕★ s enough oxygen, destroying the body₽σ's pH balance. The smart braceπε§let of the temperature sen<ε∞sor helps to calibrate th≈•∏₹e information collected by other sensor∞♣↕₩s. Another part of thπ<♠<e device is a flexible cirπ≈ ↑cuit board, including 11∑× ready-made high-end smart B₩$racelet chips.

Smart Bracelet creative←‌★ try to tap sweat

The creativity of the smart br<εacelet is preceded by the att$€empt to tap the sweat problem: flexib®₩₩αility and computational power. In the λ↓✔♠past, engineers using silic≤₹×∑on-based computer chips hav✘£e found that inflexible <♠λ∏parts often do not keep in touch wiλ≈☆✔th human skin. Other teams using f‌α♦lexible plastic smart bracelets ±εhave found that those who do not usual♥αβly have the computational power req€✘δuired to measure a var≈δ£iety of substances or those★¥♣ that include more th£&≤®an simple functions.δ∏

Jason Hackenfield, an electrical en×←‍€gineer at the Univers'σity of Cincinnati in O✘δσhio, said no one else measurγ☆ed many things at the sameα♠≠ time, and he was not involved in >♥the project. "Everα∞∏y time you can measure som ♥★≠ething else, smart B σracelet becomes smarter."↔♥→ 

Functional test of ne$¶±>w smart Bracelet

Researchers report today in the online ★ ‍'edition of the Journa®∏σl Nature that the smart bracele←÷‌ t functions as predicted in laborator$✔₽↓y tests. In addition±λ to being portable an₩₩§​d non-invasive, the prototype monitors♦♦ chemicals in real time,  §£₩eliminating the usual ti₩Ω∏→me and effort required to collec​±t samples and deliver them to the ∞€laboratory for analysis using large, φ‌expensive equipment.

"The ability to continuously m ↔$σonitor sweat provides new c‌♥™apabilities," says John Rogers≤&, a materials scientist at tα∑he University of Illinoi©€™s at Urbana-Champaign. In additionδ↕↔ to basic research in ☆♠human physiology, inclu↕" ding how people respo §nd to exercise or other s§↔tresses, the device can also be∞★α₽ used in a variety of cli≈↔nical situations. Doctors c♠λan monitor everythingλ•σ  from depression to drug use and cus☆$£♥tomize smart bracelets to measur♥€πe the breakdown of drugs "♥'§and biomarkers.

Alternatively, the device ca↓φ↕☆n monitor the speed or spe​‍♣∞ed of an individual patient​♣'s response to a drug during treγ ∞atment with an intelligent hand ri㮶Ωng over a period of ti✘σme, enabling doctors to customize the d<δ'ose. The device can also be us‌♦&£ed to warn athletes and patients o∏±♣f various medical conditions, inc< ₹¥luding fatigue, dehydration and overhe↕♣ating. At present, the prototype board≤"•☆ of the team is very large.♥<€But the 11 computer chips u₽✔sed by the researchers co  &×uld be integrated into  •™>a custom smart ring chip, making ↓←σfuture versions of th↑ e device smaller and usable for infσ±¥✔ants and children as well as adu↑$πlts. In addition, the next gener©∏βation of smart brace≈δ"€lets also have the ability to disconn✔αect and process sens₽≈ors, but retain and reuse λ→electronic smart bracelets.

Commercializing a team's equipmeδ↔∏nt into a medical product requ∑Ωires lengthy clinical test€€"ing and evaluation - a process that m₹→✔ ay take years to complete.