Development of a Conductive Fabric-based Wearable Patch for Multiplexed Measurement of Sweat Glucose and Sweat secretion

Sweat based textile biowearables have emerged as a promising solution for continuous, non-invasive health monitoring, particularly for tracking metabolic and physiological biomarkers. However, many existing systems rely on mediators and specialized fabrication techniques, limiting their scalability for widespread use. In this study, we develop a fabric-based electrochemical sensing patch for simultaneous sweat glucose and sweat secretion monitoring. We use a commercially available conductive fabric (Adafruit 1364). The sensor integrates flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (FADGDH) with a direct electron transfer (DET)-enabled electrode for mediator-free sweat glucose sensing. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is employed for skin impedance tracking, allowing assessment of sweat secretion in conjunction with the sweat glucose monitoring. Facile fabrication involves xurography patterning and heat bonding, eliminating the need for sophisticated techniques, making the approach cost-effective and scalable. The sweat glucose biosensing demonstrated a sensitivity of 13.79μAμM−1(pH 6.5) to 17.21 μAμM−1 (pH 4.5) with a limit of Detection (LOD) ranging from 24.31 (pH-6.5) - 19.13 (pH-4.5) μM and specificity against known interfering agents. The frequency-based skin impedance sensor exhibits clear impedance shifts corresponding to sweat secretion levels. To evaluate performance of the sensor on humans, the sensor was tested in an on-body user study, where participants wore the patch under typical conditions while sweat glucose and skin impedance change were measured. The study demonstrated strong agreement between sensor readings and reference methods, highlighting its accuracy and feasibility for practical health monitoring. This work highlights the potential of integrating DET-enabled enzymatic sensing with commercially available fabrics for scalable glucose detection and frequency-based skin-based analysis. This lays the foundation for affordable, non-invasive, and multi-functional wearable health monitoring technologies.