Thin, soft, skin-mounted microfluidic networks for detection and analysis of targets of interest in sweat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020093416-A1
Application number	US-201816616813-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 1, 2018
Priority date	Jun 2, 2017
Publication date	Mar 26, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided herein are flexible, microfluidic epidermal systems and methods useful in the analysis of biofluids for biomarkers corresponding to a variety of conditions and methods of use. The provided systems configured to create conformal contact with the skin to allow for medical testing or screening, either in situ or later external laboratory testing. The described devices and methods may be used for cystic fibrosis screening, glucose monitoring, drug and/or alcohol testing, creatinine monitoring, urea monitoring, pH measurement and dialysis treatment efficacy testing.

First claim

1 . The method of claim 2 ,
wherein said one or more biomarkers are for i) monitoring or screening for cystic fibrosis, ii) monitoring drug or alcohol consumption, iii) monitoring dialysis efficacy, iv) monitoring glucose levels, v) monitoring creatinine levels, vi) monitoring urea levels, vii) monitoring pH or any combination thereof.

2 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising at least one of:
measuring the volume of said sweat collected or the flow rate of said sweat from said subject; and monitoring a health condition of said subject based on said one or more biomarkers in said sweat.

3 . A method for the detection of a biomarker in sweat comprising:
providing an epidermal microfluidic device to a skin of a subject, wherein conformal contact is established thereby providing fluidic communication between said device and said skin, said device comprising:
a flexible substrate;
a sweat inlet embedded in or supported by said flexible substrate; and
at least one reservoir chamber fluidically connected to the sweat inlet;
collecting said sweat from said subject in said device; and identifying or quantifying the amount of one or more biomarkers in said sweat, wherein each of said one or more biomarkers is identified or quantified in a unique reservoir chamber.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said device further comprises an analyzer integrated with or fluidically connected to the at least one reservoir chamber, and wherein the step of identifying or quantifying the amount of said one or more biomarkers is performed in situ using the epidermal microfluidic device.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said device further comprises a sweat outlet fluidically connected to the at least one reservoir chamber; the method further comprising a step of removing said sweat from said device through the sweat outlet and the step of identifying or quantifying the amount of said one or more biomarkers is external laboratory based.

6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyurethane, cellulose paper, cellulose sponge, polyurethane sponge, polyvinyl alcohol sponge, silicone sponge, polystyrene, polyimide, SU-8, wax, olefin copolymer, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, chitosan, and any combination thereof.

7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein said device further comprises an adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a second auxiliary in fluidic communication with the sweat inlet.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the adhesive layer is capable of reversibly adhering to the skin surface.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises medical grade acrylic, silicone, hydrocolloid, or any combination thereof.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more biomarkers correspond to one or more of cystic fibrosis, presence or absence of alcohol, presence or absence of an illicit drug, and kidney or dialysis efficacy.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more biomarkers are one or more of a chloride, glucose, alcohol, an illicit drug, urea, creatinine, and pH.

12 . (canceled)

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the illicit drug is selected from the group consisting of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, methamphetamine, ketamine or a combination thereof.

14 - 18 . (canceled)

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said epidermal microfluidic device has a plurality of reservoirs and each reservoir is used to identify or quantify a different biomarker.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said epidermal microfluidic device further comprises a colorimetric sensor.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the colorimetric sensor is a dye and said dye provides a visual representation of the amount of said sweat collected by said epidermal microfluidic device.

22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said epidermal microfluidic device further comprises a plurality of colorimetric sensors.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the colorimetric sensors comprise one or more color-responsive reagents for quantification of a sweat volume or amount, flow rate, composition or any combination of thereof, or for quantification of at least one of chloride, glucose, alcohol, an illicit drug, urea, creatinine and pH.

24 . (canceled)

25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the one or more color-responsive reagents are indicator reagents that react with said one or more biomarkers.

26 . The method claim 3 , wherein each reservoir chamber has one or more color-responsive reagents and each of said color-responsive reagents are immobilized in a respective reservoir of the plurality of chamber reservoirs.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the one or more color-responsive reagents are selected from the group consisting of dye, CoCl 2 , glucose oxidase, peroxidase, potassium iodide, lactate dehydrogenase, diaphorase, formazan dyes, 2,4,6-tris(2-pyridiyl)-s-triazine (TPTZ) complexed with mercury ion or iron ion, a 2,2′-bicinchoninic acid, 1,10-phenanthroline, a universal pH indicator, silver chloranilate and any combination thereof.

28 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said epidermal microfluidic device further comprises one or more color calibration markers, ion-selective electrodes or electrochemical sensors, a temperature sensor, a wireless device, at least one light emitting diode (LED), or a combination thereof.

29 . (canceled)

30 . (canceled)

31 . The method of claim 28 , wherein said temperature sensor is embedded in or supported by said flexible substrate and provides a body temperature of said subject.

32 . (canceled)

33 . The method of claim 28 , wherein said wireless device comprises a transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver, or a near-field communication (NFC) coil.

34 . (canceled)

35 . The method of claim 33 , wherein said wireless device is wirelessly powered.

36 . (canceled)

37 . The method of claim 28 , wherein said LED notifies said subject when collection of said sweat is complete or when said epidermal microfluidic device is full of said sweat, or when quantification or identification of said biomarker is complete.

38 . (canceled)

39 . The method of claim 3 , wherein said subject is a human subject.

40 . The method of claim 3 , wherein said subject is a human subject undergoing a diagnostic procedure, a therapeutic procedure, a fitness activity, or monitoring the presence, onset or progression of a disease condition.

41 - 43 . (canceled)

44 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of monitoring said health condition of said subject comprising monitoring a condition or disease, monitoring the efficacy of a treatment, monitoring the effect of a therapy or monitoring a physical condition.

45 . An epidermal microfluidic device for collection of sweat from the skin of a subject, comprising:
a flexible substrate; a sweat inlet embedded in or supported by said flexible substrate; at least one reservoir chamber fluidically connected to the sweat inlet; and a microfluidic outlet fluidically co

Assignees

• Univ Northwestern

Inventors

• Rogers John A
• Ray Tyler R
• Choi Jungil
• Zhang Yi

Classifications

• B01L2300/047

  Additional chamber, reservoir · CPC title

• B01L3/502715

  characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces · CPC title

• A61B5/14532

  for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement · CPC title

• A61B2562/164

  the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier · CPC title

• B01L2300/023

  Sending and receiving of information, e.g. using Bluetooth® · CPC title