The researchers from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a smartwatch that calculates cortisol level accurately and in real-time that is present in Sweat. The technology may also let the users to read and react to the vital biochemical indicator of stress.
Cortisol is a steroid hormone that occurs naturally and plays a crucial role in human body to respond to stress.
So far it is not possible to diagnose condition like post-traumatic stress and depression by measuring cortisol. Cortisol levels are traditionally assessed by professional labs using blood samples. These measurements might help to diagnose a particular disease. However, they do not help to identify changes in cortisol levels over time.
MUST READ: BEST SMARTWATCHES WITH MENSTRUAL TRACKER
Overview of the smartwatch
The latest smartwatch has a strip of a specialized thin film adhesive. This thin adhesive then stores petite volumes of sweat. Also, there is a sensor attached to the smartwatch that helps to identify cortisol via engineered strands of DNA known as aptamers. These are designed in a way that a cortisol molecule can fit into an aptamer.
The electric fields at the bottom of a transistor gets altered as aptamer changes shape. Aptamer’s shape gets changed when cortisol is attached.
What researchers and co-author Sam Emaminejad think about the discovery?
As per researchers, cortisol can be well measured through smartwatches. As its concentration levels in sweat are same to its circulating levels. Sam Emamineiad said they have determined that as they track cortisol in sweat, they can even monitor changes in wearable formats just like they showed it before for other small molecules including pharmaceuticals and metabolites.
Earlier, Emaminejad’s lab verified that a reusable version of the specialized adhesive film lets smartwatches to examine chemicals from sweat. Initial studies stated the sensors that Emaminejad’s group developed could be used to personalize drug dosage and diagnose diseases like cystic fibrosis.
However, one major challenge faced during diagnosing disorders or depression is that levels of hormone may vary from person to person. So, its not easy to come to any conclusion based on the measurement.
Paul Weiss, a UCLA distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry and of materials science and engineering, said that this work as turned out to be an important paper by drawing collectively the disparate parts of UCLA. He added that working together for this technology has become possible as there are no ego problems. Working together means solving each other’s problems and taking the technology to new direction.
ALSO READ: THE BEST SMARTWATCH UNDER 5000 WITH CALL FUNCTION
