Wearable, User-Centric Sweat Sensing Platforms with Scalable Fabrication

Sweat is a unique biofluid with noninvasive, continuous or near-continuous access, and potential for rich biomarker analysis. While current wearables are centered on heart rate-derived measures, sweat sensing offers an additional layer of insight, with metrics on hydration and psychological stress through sweat secretion rate and on other physiological parameters via chemical sensors. This dissertation addresses some key barriers to the integration of sweat
sensing into practical wearable systems: controlled uptake of fluid samples from dynamic, deformable skin surfaces, suitability for a wide dynamic range of sweat secretion rates, extended capacities via reusability or modular disposable components, and scalable roll-to-roll fabrication. Through a series of platform-level advances, I demonstrate robust, user-centered, and manufacturable solutions for sweat-based biosensing that support the broad application
of these wearable health technologies in the future.