A team of researchers fabricated 'smart necklace' complete with a functional clasp and pendant which, once placed around their necks, was used to monitor the glucose level

Scientists have created a 'smart necklace' that can detect a person's health through sweat. In a new study published in the journal Science Advances, a team from The Ohio State University demonstrated a battery-free, wireless 'smart necklace', which is a biochemical sensor, that can monitor the blood sugar or glucose level of human beings when they exercise.

The Ohio State team fabricated the "smart necklace" complete with a functional clasp and pendant which, once placed around their necks, was used to monitor the glucose level of study participants as they exercised.

The biochemical sensor works using a resonance circuit, instead of a battery. It reflects radio frequency signals sent out by an external reader system.

During the study, participants did indoor cycling for 30 minutes and then had sugar-sweetened beverages. The researchers knew that glucose levels in the sweat should rise after drinking the sugary beverages -- the question was whether this new sensor would pick it up, said Jinghua Li, co-author of the study and assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Ohio State.

The results showed the sensor did track the glucose levels successfully, which suggests it will work to monitor other important chemicals in sweat.

"Sweat actually contains hundreds of biomarkers that can reveal very important information about our health status," said Li. "The next generation of biosensors will be so highly bio-intuitive and non-invasive that we'll be able to detect key information contained in a person's body fluids."

Biomarkers are substances that can divulge a body's deepest secrets: Everything from disease, infection, and even evidence of emotional trauma can be found in a person's bodily fluids, which include sweat, tears, saliva, and urine. In addition to analyzing the composition of sweat, the researchers believe this sensor could one day be customized as bioimplants and used to detect neurotransmitters and hormones, which could help identify ion disorders in cerebrospinal fluid associated with secondary brain injury, or even lead to a new understanding of how the brain functions, Li said.

Additionally, this smart necklace requires only a minimum amount of sweat for the interface to work due to the miniaturized structure of the sensing interface, Li added.

The sensors are made out of ultra-thin materials. The style of the 'necklace' has been made in such a way that it would be flexible, and ensure it can safely come into contact with a person's skin.

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