“一滴汗”就能监测健康状况？ Chinese researchers design wristwatch for real-time health monitoring through sweat

随着科技的发展和人们健康意识的提升，能够监测健康状况的设备越来越多。你能想象到凭借小小的一滴汗液就能监测身体健康状况吗？

Scientists from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HIPS) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences have designed a wristwatch that can measure essential chemicals in body sweat. Their findings were published in the journal ACS Nano.
中国科学院合肥物质科学研究院的科学家们研发了一款可以测量汗液中必需化学物质的腕表。他们的研究结果发表在《ACS Nano》期刊上。

Sweat contains electrolytes, primarily potassium, sodium and calcium. The balance of these essential minerals is crucial for supporting muscle function, nerve health and regular heartbeat.
汗液中含有电解质，主要是钾、钠和钙。研究人员表示，这些必需矿物质的平衡对维持肌肉功能、神经健康和规律心跳至关重要。

The wristwatch collects sweat from the skin and analyzes it in real time using a sensor chip with an ion-sensitive membrane. When sweat enters the device, it will come into contact with the membrane that contains three tubules capable of measuring sodium, potassium and calcium levels, respectively.
这款腕表可以从皮肤上收集汗液，并使用带有离子敏感膜的传感器芯片实时分析汗液。当汗水进入设备时，它会接触到含有三个小管的离子敏感膜，这些小管分别可以测量钠、钾和钙的含量。

Although they are not the first to invent sweat sensors, the Chinese researchers emphasized the wristwatch's solid interface for long-term reliability.
虽然这不是汗液传感器第一次问世，但研究人员强调，该腕表的固体接触层可以保证它长期耐用。

"It surpasses the stability of many other sensors by consistently monitoring the three ions in human sweat for over six months," said lead researcher Huang Xingjiu, of the Institute of Solid State Physics under the HIPS.
该研究的首席研究员，来自中国科学院合肥物质科学研究院的黄行九说:“（我们使用该传感器）持续监测了人体汗液中的三种离子六个多月，发现该传感器的稳定性超过了许多其他传感器。”

Since endurance athletes use electrolyte drinks to counteract the loss of energy and replenish it, researchers in the study measured the sweat composition of these chemicals in athletes running long distances on a treadmill. The accuracy reached approximately 95 percent when compared to the standard detection method.
由于耐力运动员会饮用电解质饮料来补充能量和电解质，研究人员在这项研究中测量了运动员在跑步机上长跑产生的汗液中化学物质的组成。与标准检测方法测量的结果相比，该传感器测量的结果准确度达到95%左右。

"When there are electrolyte abnormalities, the device will remind users to supplement them promptly. The aim of developing this device is to provide warnings for electrolyte loss and reduce exercise-related injury risks."
研究人员解释道：“当电解质异常时，该设备会提醒用户及时补充电解质。开发这种设备的目的是为电解质流失提供警告，降低与运动相关的伤害风险。”

For ordinary people, the conventional electrolyte test requires samples of body fluids taken in hospitals. The new wristwatch has the potential to serve as an alternative to needles for measuring electrolytes.
对于普通人来说，传统的电解质测试需要在医院采集体液样本。这款腕表有可能替代针管，成为测量电解质的新工具。

The next goal of the research team is to design various sensitive membrane materials for monitoring more physiological information, such as glucose and chloride ions.
研究小组的下一个目标是设计不同的敏感膜材料，以监测更多生理信息，比如葡萄糖和氯离子。

The researchers noted that compared to popular fitness watches on the market, the device they designed is larger and heavier, making it less comfortable to wear. However, they expect to develop wearable sweat sensors suitable for market applications in the next five years. The team of researchers also aims to adapt the device for environmental monitoring to measure heavy metals in the future.
研究人员还指出，目前他们研发的腕表比市场上流行的健身手表更大更重，戴起来不太舒服。因此，他们希望在未来五年内开发出适合市场需求的可穿戴式汗液传感器。研究小组还打算在未来将该设备用于环境监测，进行重金属测量等工作。

英文来源：新华网

编辑：麦合丽娅·麦提尼亚孜（实习） 董静

审校：陈丹妮