Discovery Patch® Sweat Collection System

Epicore Biosystems registers with FDA

Latest News: "Epicore Biosystems Launches Discovery Patch Sweat Collection System"

October 4, 2021

CAMBRIDGE, MA. —(PR NEWSWIRE)— Digital health solutions developer Epicore Biosystems has announced that it is launching its Discovery Patch® Sweat Collection System (“Discovery Patch System”). The platform consists of a wearable microfluidic patch that captures eccrine sweat directly from the skin during exercise, environmental exposure, and pharmacologic modes of sweat induction. Sweat is transferred from the microfluidic patch to clean lab storage containers using a sweat extraction apparatus designed to rapidly collect and prepare sweat samples for biochemical analysis.


Introducing the Discovery Patch Sweat Collection System

Impact

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

Read on below for more information.

Discovery Patch

The Discovery Patch is a single-use, flexible wearable microfluidic patch that is designed to be soft and compatible for wear on the skin. Its features and sub-components include the following:

  • 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.

Extraction Fixture

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.

Cryovials & Storage

Extracted sweat is deposited and stored within these vials until the sweat is ready to be analyzed. Cryovials provided by Epicore fit a cutout in the Extraction Fixture.

Instructions for Use

For more information on the system and how to use it, download our Instructions for Use at right. Note: PDF will download locally.

Our Peer Reviewed Research

Epicore technology stems from decades of research and development from Prof. John Rogers' Laboratory at Northwestern University's Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics. The Discovery Patch Sweat Collection System leverages Epicore's depth of knowledge in sweat collection and analysis, established over 20+ publications in this space. A sampling of publications included below demonstrate a breadth of applications for sweat research, from improvements to the well established methods of diagnosing cystic fibrosis to analysis of the presence and levels of cytokines responsible for inflammatory responses.

Epicore's wearable metabolic and biochemical sensing technology has been established across performance, wellness, and healthcare applications. For additional publications, visit our Featured Publications page.

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