Researchers have developed a next-generation wearable device that continuously monitors sweat biomarkers using ultralow-power electronics and customizable 3D-printed components, a major step toward practical, long-term biosensing in real-world conditions.
Study: Wearable continuous diffusion-based skin gas analysis. Image Credit: Doucefleur/Shutterstock.com
In the study, published in Nature Communications, the team presented their digital bio-gas sensing (DBGS) platform, which combines biosymbiotic electronics with flexible design elements to tackle key challenges in wearable health monitoring.
Background
Wearable biosensors have traditionally relied on electrochemical, optical, or colorimetric methods. While these techniques perform well in controlled settings, they often struggle during long-term use in real-world conditions. Challenges like signal drift, susceptibility to environmental noise, and high energy demands can limit their reliability and practicality for continuous monitoring.
Monitoring sweat biomarkers—such as electrolytes, metabolites, and gases—during physical activity offers valuable insights into an individual’s physiological stress and health status. Yet most conventional sweat sensors provide only occasional readings, rather than the continuous data needed for ongoing analysis. That gap has fueled interest in more advanced sensor systems that can operate seamlessly, even during movement, outdoor exposure, or daily routines. Prior work has emphasized the need for low-power electronics, flexible materials, and compact designs that support continuous, accurate biosensing with minimal user interference.
The Current Study
To meet these demands, the researchers developed the DBGS platform—an integrated system that merges biosymbiotic electronics with 3D-printed components to create a customizable and lightweight wearable sensor. The electronics are designed to consume less than 20 milliwatts of power, supporting extended use without frequent recharging. This efficiency is key to enabling continuous monitoring in daily life.
The device architecture features precision cavity design and tight circuit integration, with firmware optimized for real-time data acquisition and wireless transmission. It can detect key biomarkers in sweat, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon dioxide, and ethanol. The team validated the system using a combination of lab-based testing and field studies.
In controlled experiments, sweat rate measurements from the DBGS were compared to the gold-standard swabbing and weighing method, showing strong correlation and reproducibility. The device’s resilience was further tested under varying airflow conditions to simulate outdoor environments, where it maintained stable performance.
To assess how the device performs under physical stress, participants wore it during activities like cycling and tennis simulations. Additionally, the sensor was worn continuously over multiple days to gather chronic data, which was timestamped and processed using smoothing spline algorithms to reduce noise. All human subject studies adhered to rigorous ethical protocols and obtained informed consent.
Results and Discussion
Across all testing scenarios, the DBGS platform delivered accurate, consistent, and reliable results. In the lab, device readings aligned closely with benchmark methods, with Pearson’s correlation coefficients exceeding 0.75, indicating a strong agreement. Importantly, the device retained measurement accuracy even in simulated windy conditions, reinforcing its robustness against external disturbances.
During physical activity, the DBGS effectively captured physiological changes, including increased sweat production and shifts in gas concentrations, which matched expected responses to varying levels of exertion. Thanks to its ultralow power usage, the device was able to collect uninterrupted data across multiple days. These chronic measurements revealed patterns tied to daily physiological fluctuations, such as distinguishing between periods of activity, rest, and sleep.
The device also demonstrated the ability to detect subtle changes potentially linked to stress-induced biomarker variations, pointing to broader applications in health monitoring. The researchers highlight that this platform’s combination of durability, sensitivity, and low power consumption makes it well-suited for long-term, real-world use.
While the current version offers major improvements over traditional sensors, the authors note that future iterations could enhance biomarker sensitivity and expand the range of detectable compounds. They envision applications that go beyond fitness tracking, extending into chronic disease management and personalized health monitoring, especially in settings where unobtrusive, real-time insights are critical.
Conclusion
This study marks a promising step forward in wearable biosensing, demonstrating a low-power, durable, and high-accuracy platform capable of continuous sweat biomarker tracking in daily life. By merging symbiotic electronics with 3D-printed, customizable components, the researchers tackled key barriers in existing wearables, particularly around stability, energy efficiency, and long-term operation.
The DBGS platform opens the door to a new class of wearable technologies that can offer meaningful, personalized health insights—whether for athletic performance, stress monitoring, or chronic care. As future versions evolve to include more biomarkers and finer resolution, this approach could help make real-time, continuous health monitoring more accessible and impactful.
Journal Reference
Clausen D., Farley M., et al. (2025). Wearable continuous diffusion-based skin gas analysis. Nature Communications 16, 4343. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59629-x, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59629-x