A Capacitive Sweat Rate Sensor for Continuous and Real-Time Monitoring of Sweat Loss.

Individualized measurement of sweat loss under heat stress is important in assessing physical performance and preventing heat-related illness for athletes or individuals working in extreme environments. The objective of this work was to develop a low-cost and easy-to-fabricate wearable sensor that enables accurate real-time measurement of sweat rate. A capacitive-type sensor was fabricated from two conducting parallel plates, plastic insulating layers, and a central microfluidic channel formed by laser cutting a plastic film. The device has no microfabricated electrodes and is assembled using adhesive tape. Sensor accuracy was validated at different flow rates and confirmed using an equivalent circuit model of the device. On-body measurements demonstrate the feasibility of real-time measurements and show good agreement with values determined from a conventional sweat collection device.

The Dynamic Response of Sweat Chloride to Changes in Exercise Load Measured by a Wearable Sweat Sensor.

Wearable sensors enable the monitoring of an individual's sweat composition in real time. In this work, we recorded real-time sweat chloride concentration for 12 healthy subjects in three different protocols involving step changes in exercise load and compared the results to laboratory-based analysis. The sensor results reflected the changes in exercise load in real time. On increasing the exercise load from 100 W to 200 W the sweat chloride concentration increased from 12.0 ± 5.9 to 31.4 ± 16 mM (mean ± SD). On decreasing the load from 200 W to 100 W, the sweat chloride concentration decreased from 27.7 ± 10.5 to 14.8 ± 8.1 mM. The half-time associated with the change in sweat chloride, defined as the time at which the concentration reached half of the overall change, was about 6 minutes. While the changes in sweat chloride were statistically significant, there was no correlation with changes in sweat rate or other physiological parameters, which we attribute to intra-individual variation (SD = 1.6-8.1 mM). The response to exercise-induced sweating was significantly different to chemically-induced sweating where the sweat chloride concentration was almost independent of sweat rate. We speculate that this difference is related to changes in the open probability of the CFTR channel during exercise, resulting in a decrease in reabsorption efficiency at higher sweat rates.

Out-of-clinic measurement of sweat chloride using a wearable sensor during low-intensity exercise.

Wearable sensors have the potential to enable measurement of sweat chloride outside the clinic. Here we assess the feasibility of mild exercise as an alternative to pilocarpine iontophoresis for sweat generation. The results from this proof-of-concept study suggest that mild exercise could be a feasible approach to obtain reliable measurements of sweat chloride concentration within 20-30 min using a wearable sensor.

Two Distinct Types of Sweat Profile in Healthy Subjects While Exercising at Constant Power Output Measured by a Wearable Sweat Sensor.

Wearable sweat sensors have enabled real-time monitoring of sweat profiles (sweat concentration versus time) and could enable monitoring of electrolyte loss during exercise or for individuals working in extreme environments. To assess the feasibility of using a wearable sweat chloride sensor for real-time monitoring of individuals during exercise, we recorded and analyzed the sweat profiles of 50 healthy subjects while spinning at 75 Watts for 1 hour. The measured sweat chloride concentrations were in the range from 2.9-34 mM. The sweat profiles showed two distinct sweat responses: Type 1 (single plateau) and Type 2 (multiple plateaus). Subjects with Type 2 profiles had higher sweat chloride concentration and weight loss, higher maximum heart rate, and larger changes in heart rate and rating of perceived exertion during the trial compared to subjects with Type 1 profiles. To assess the influence of level of effort, we recorded sweat profiles for five subjects at 75 W, 100 W, and 125 W. While all five subjects showed Type 1 sweat profiles at 75 W, four of the subjects had Type 2 profiles at 125 W, showing an increase in sweat chloride with exercise intensity. Finally, we show that sweat profiles along with other physiological parameters can be used to predict fluid loss.

Imager-4D: New Software for Viewing Dynamic PET Scans and Extracting Radiomic Parameters from PET Data.

Extensive research is currently being conducted into dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) acquisitions (including dynamic whole-body imaging) as well as extraction of radiomic features from imaging modalities. We describe a new PET viewing software known as Imager-4D that provides a facile means of viewing and analyzing dynamic PET data and obtaining associated quantitative metrics including radiomic parameters. The Imager-4D was programmed in the Java language utilizing the FX extensions. It is executable on any system for which a Java w/FX compliant virtual machine is available. The software incorporates the ability to view and analyze dynamic data acquired with different types of dynamic protocols. For image display, the program maintains a built-in library of 62 different lookup tables with monochromatic and full-color distributions. The Imager-4D provides multiple display layouts and can display fused images. Multiple methods of volume-of-interest (VOI) selection are available. Dynamic analysis features, such as image summation and full Patlak analysis, are also available. The user interface includes window width and level, blending, and zoom functionality. VOI sizes are adjustable and data from VOIs can either be displayed numerically or graphically within the software or exported. An example case of a 50-year-old woman with metastatic colorectal cancer and thyroiditis is included and demonstrates the steps for a user to obtain standard PET parameters, dynamic data, and radiomic features using selected VOIs. The Imager-4D represents a novel PET viewer that allows the user to view dynamic PET data, to derive dynamic and radiomic parameters from that data, and to combine dynamic data with radiomics ("dynomics"). The Imager-4D is available as a free download. This software has the potential to speed the adoption of advanced analysis of dynamic PET data into routine clinical use.

Defining Optimal Head-Tilt Position of Resuscitation in Neonates and Young Infants Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data.

Head-tilt maneuver assists with achieving airway patency during resuscitation. However, the relationship between angle of head-tilt and airway patency has not been defined. Our objective was to define an optimal head-tilt position for airway patency in neonates (age: 0-28 days) and young infants (age: 29 days-4 months). We performed a retrospective study of head and neck magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of neonates and infants to define the angle of head-tilt for airway patency. We excluded those with an artificial airway or an airway malformation. We defined head-tilt angle a priori as the angle between occipito-ophisthion line and ophisthion-C7 spinous process line on the sagittal MR images. We evaluated medical records for Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) and exposure to sedation during MRI. We analyzed MRI of head and neck regions of 63 children (53 neonates and 10 young infants). Of these 63 children, 17 had evidence of airway obstruction and 46 had a patent airway on MRI. Also, 16/63 had underlying HIE and 47/63 newborn infants had exposure to sedative medications during MRI. In spontaneously breathing and neurologically depressed newborn infants, the head-tilt angle (median ± SD) associated with patent airway (125.3° ± 11.9°) was significantly different from that of blocked airway (108.2° ± 17.1°) (Mann Whitney U-test, p = 0.0045). The logistic regression analysis showed that the proportion of patent airways progressively increased with an increasing head-tilt angle, with > 95% probability of a patent airway at head-tilt angle 144-150°.