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Model Discovery Patch - Sweat Collection System
The human eccrine system consists of a collection of glands that excrete sweat to the surface of the skin under control of the sympathetic nervous system. The result helps to provide for thermal homeostasis across a range of environmental and physiological conditions. The rich composition of solutes and metabolites in sweat and the relative ease with which it can be non-invasively collected upon excretion from skin pores make this class of biofluid highly attractive for diverse applications in ambulatory health diagnostics, sports performance, and monitoring. In situ, quantitative analysis of sweat for these and other purposes have traditionally relied on extraction using disposable gauzes, absorbent pads, Parafilm-M pouches, and/or arm bags/gloves (Choi et al, 2018). Epicore Biosystems` launch of the Discovery Patch Sweat Collection System radically simplifies sweat biomarker capture, collection, and analytics for clinical trials and research.
With this offering, we aim to empower clinical trials, enabling access to the wealth of biomarker and metabolic information locked away in sweat.
For more information on sweat biomarker constituents and their correlations with blood click here (Baker & Wolfe, 2020).
The Discovery Patch Sweat Collection System by Epicore Biosystems enables advances in sweat biomarker research by providing easy and hassle-free collection. The Discovery Patch System is registered as FDA 510(k) exempt as a solution for eccrine sweat collection and consists of:
- i) wearable microfluidic patch, the Discovery Patch
- ii) sweat extraction apparatus for removal of collected sweat from the Discovery Patch
- iii) cryovial for safe storage of collected sweat in preparation for analysis
- A patterned adhesive used to adhere the patch to the skin surface
- A sweat inlet at the base of the patch where sweat enters the microchannels
- A network of microchannels where sweat travels through and is contained within the patch
- Volume tick marks used for estimating fill volume extent
- A sweat extraction port at the exit outlet of the microchannel where sweat is transferred from the patch and into a cryovial during the extraction process
The Discovery Patch may be placed at different anatomical locations for regional sweat capture and analysis. As the wearer begins to sweat, the excreted sweat pooling in the Discovery Patch’s collection area propagates through a network of microchannels driven by the natural pressure gradients of the sweat glands. During collection, the extent of sweat filling can be readily observed according to the annotated tick marks printed along the right edge of the Discovery Patch.
The Extraction Fixture is used to transfer sweat collected and stored within the patch to a container for analysis. The fixture features:
- An extraction platform where the patch is placed after removal for extraction
- Patch cavity for easy alignment of the patch for extraction
- An extraction gasket surrounding the extraction cutout connected to the valved extraction tubing system and syringe to enable sweat extraction
- A cryovial holder where the container for extracted sweat is supported during the extraction process
The patch cavity of the Extraction Fixture aligns the extraction cutout with the patch’s sweat inlet. Air is pushed through the patch, which pushes all contained sweat through the patch microchannel until it exits the device at the sweat extraction port and into a cryovial.