Wearable ring sensor for monitoring biomarkers of atherosclerosis in sweat

Abstract

Atherosclerosis-induced cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide. Currently, clinical diagnosis of atherosclerosis relies on analysis and assessment by large medical equipment and specialized professionals, involving invasive testing, which limits early detection and prognosis of atherosclerosis. Herein, this work develops a flexible wearable ring sensor for non-invasive real-time in situ monitoring of biomarkers associated with atherosclerosis. The device integrates electrochemical biosensing and microfluidic technology, utilizing screen-printing to create high-precision multi-channel electrodes. It can be worn on fingers to detect sweat flow rate and biomarkers including C-reactive protein (CRP), cholesterol, and potassium ions (K⁺), with the aim of improving disease management efficiency and enhancing patient experience. The synthesized ZIF-67@AuNPs was used as the signal amplification layer of the adapter sensor. The resulting sensor exhibites sensitive and linear responses within the concentration ranges of 0-100 ng mL^-1 for CRP, 0-120 μM for cholesterol, and 10^-6-1 M for K⁺. Further tests on specificity, reproducibility, and stability of the sensor confirm its potential for practical applications. In this work, the wearable ring sensor achieves accurate detection of atherosclerosis biomarkers in sweat samples, providing a new technological approach for non-invasive real-time monitoring that has the potential to contribute to early disease warning and personalized management.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; C-Reactive protein; Cholesterol; Microfluidic technology; Potassium ions; Wearable ring sensor.