Wearable fluidic device and system for sweat collection and extraction

Abstract

A sweat collection system includes a sweat collection device configured to be adhered to the skin of a user to collect sweat for storage, extraction, and analysis. The sweat collection device includes a flexible body having a first, outwardly facing surface and a second, skin-facing surface, and a sweat collection channel formed in the body and having a first end defining a sweat inlet port, and a second end defining a sweat outlet port. A biochemical assay well is formed in the sweat channel, and a dye is disposed therein and is positioned to react with sweat in the sweat channel and to provide an indicator of the flow of the sweat in the sweat channel. The sweat collection device is affixed to the skin to determine a total volume of sweat collected over a known period, and a graph of sweat volume over time is plotted to determine a sweat rate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sweat collection system comprising:
 a sweat collection device configured to be adhered to the skin of a user to collect sweat for storage, extraction, and analysis, the sweat collection device including:
 a flexible body having a first, outwardly facing surface and a second, skin-facing surface; 
 a sweat collection channel formed in the body, the sweat collection channel having a first end defining a sweat inlet port, and a second end defining a sweat outlet port; 
 a biochemical assay well formed in the sweat channel; and 
 a dye disposed in the biochemical assay well, the dye positioned to react with sweat traveling through the sweat channel and to provide one of a visual indicator and an indicator detectable by a camera and connected processor of the flow of the sweat in the sweat channel; 
 wherein the sweat inlet port and the sweat outlet port are configured to be closed and sealed such that the sweat collection device and the collected sweat therein may be stored and shipped; 
   wherein the sweat inlet port is positioned on the skin of the person at a location from which sweat is desired to be collected and the sweat collection device is affixed to the skin, wherein the sweat in the sweat collection channel is dyed with the dye in the biochemical assay well, and wherein a first occlusion tab is affixed to the sweat inlet port and a second occlusion tab is affixed to the sweat outlet port after a desired volume of sweat has been collected in the sweat collection device, the first and second occlusion tabs defining fluid-tight seals of the sweat inlet port and the sweat outlet port, respectively;   a digital camera having a processor connected thereto;   wherein the digital camera captures sequential images of an outwardly facing surface of the sweat collection device at predetermined time intervals while the sweat collection device is affixed to the skin to determine a total volume of sweat collected over a known period of time; and   plotting a graph of sweat volume over time to determine a sweat rate.