{"681759":{"#nid":"681759","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Wearable Device Monitors Skin Health in Real Time","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom sun damage and pollution to cuts and infections, our skin protects us from a lot. But it isn\u2019t impenetrable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe tend to think of our skin as being this impermeable barrier that\u2019s just enclosing our body,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/matthew-t-flavin\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMatthew Flavin\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cOur skin is constantly in flux with the gases that are in our environment and our atmosphere.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by the Georgia Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST),\u0026nbsp;researchers have developed a novel wearable device that can monitor the flux of vapors through the skin, offering new insights into skin health and wound healing. This technology, detailed in a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-025-08825-2\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Erecent \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E publication\u003C\/a\u003E, represents a significant advancement in the field of wearable bioelectronics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou could think of this being used where a Band-Aid is being used,\u201d said Flavin, one of the lead authors of the study. The compact, wireless device is the first wearable technology able to continuously and precisely measure water vapor, volatile organic compounds, and carbon dioxide fluxes in the skin in real time. Because increases in these factors are associated with infection and delayed healing, Flavin notes that this kind of wireless monitoring \u201ccould give clinicians a new tool to understand the properties of the skin.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Measurement Barrier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur skin is our first line of defense against environmental hazards. Measuring how effectively it protects us from harmful pollutants or infections has been a significant challenge, especially over extended periods.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe vapors coming from your skin are in very, very low concentration,\u201d explained Flavin. \u201cIf we just put a sensor next to your skin, it would be almost impossible to control that measurement.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new device features a small chamber that condenses and measures vapors from the skin using specialized sensors hovering above the skin. A low-energy, bi-stable mechanism periodically refreshes the air in the chamber, allowing for continuous measurements communicated to a smartphone or tablet through Bluetooth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are other devices that can measure certain parts of what we\u0027re talking about here,\u201d said Flavin, \u201cbut they are not feasible for a wearable device, can\u0027t do this continuously, and are not able to get all the information that our device can get.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScratching the Surface\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy tracking the skin\u0027s water vapor flux, also known as transepidermal water loss, the device can assess skin barrier function and wound healing. This capability is particularly valuable for tracking the healing process in diabetic patients, who often have sensory issues that complicate wound monitoring. \u201cWhat you see in diabetes is that even after the wound looks like it\u0027s healed, there\u0027s still a persistent impairment of that barrier,\u201d said Flavin. This new non-invasive device tracks those properties.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are many areas where people don\u0027t have great access to healthcare, and there aren\u2019t doctors monitoring wound healing processes,\u201d Flavin added. \u201cSomething that can be used to monitor that remotely could make care more accessible to people with these conditions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe device\u2019s wearable nature also makes it ideal for studying the long-term effects of exposure to environmental hazards like wildfires or chemical fumes on skin function and overall health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough the applications in health are numerous, the research team is continuing to explore different ways to use the device. \u201cThis measurement modality is very new and we\u0027re still learning what we can do with it,\u201d saidJaeho Shin, a senior researcher at KIST and a co-leader of the study.\u0026nbsp;\u201cIt\u0027s a new way of measuring what\u0027s inside the body.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a great example of the kind of technology that can emerge from research at the interface between engineering science and medical practice,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mccormick.northwestern.edu\/research-faculty\/directory\/profiles\/rogers-john.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJohn Rogers\u003C\/a\u003E, a materials science professor at Northwestern and another co-leader of the study. \u201cThe capabilities provided by this device will not only improve patient care, but they will also lead to improved understanding of the skin, the skin microbiome, the processes of wound healing, and many others.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a new faculty member and a member of Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENeuro Next Initiative\u003C\/a\u003E, a burgeoning interdisciplinary research hub for neuroscience, neurotechnology, and society, Flavin attributes the success of this research to its interdisciplinary nature.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA broad challenge we have in these fields of research is that they integrate a lot of different areas. One of the reasons I came to Georgia Tech is because it\u0027s a place where you have access to all those different areas of expertise.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-025-08825-2\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-025-08825-2\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding: Querrey-Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics and the Center for Advanced Regenerative Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E (CARE), Northwestern University; \u003Cstrong\u003ENational Research Foundation of Korea\u003C\/strong\u003E; \u003Cstrong\u003ENational Institutes of Health\u003C\/strong\u003E (NIH), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe device is the first of its kind to continuously monitor how the skin exchanges gases with the environment, helping to monitor skin health and wound healing.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The device is the first of its kind to continuously monitor how the skin exchanges gases with the environment, helping to monitor skin health and wound healing."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2025-04-11 21:16:43","changed_gmt":"2025-05-14 13:39:44","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676823":{"id":"676823","type":"image","title":"skin-breathing1940__FitMaxWzk3MCw2NTBd.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe wireless device measures only two centimeters in length and one-and-a-half centimeters in width, and is the first of its kind to continuously monitor the skin\u0027s exchange of vapors with the environment.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1744406209","gmt_created":"2025-04-11 21:16:49","changed":"1744406209","gmt_changed":"2025-04-11 21:16:49","alt":"The wireless device measures only two centimeters in length and one-and-a-half centimeters in width, and is the first of its kind to continuously monitor the skin\u0027s exchange of vapors with the environment.","file":{"fid":"260667","name":"skin-breathing1940__FitMaxWzk3MCw2NTBd.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/11\/skin-breathing1940__FitMaxWzk3MCw2NTBd.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/11\/skin-breathing1940__FitMaxWzk3MCw2NTBd.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":73723,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/11\/skin-breathing1940__FitMaxWzk3MCw2NTBd.jpg?itok=elYw3seN"}}},"media_ids":["676823"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/new-wearable-brain-computer-interface","title":"New Wearable Brain-Computer Interface"}],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"},{"id":"187582","name":"go-ibb"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003ENeuro Next Initiative\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aprendiville@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAngela Barajas Prendiville\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Media Relations\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}