UC San Diego

There is a growing need for accurate, wearable electrochemical sensors for use in a large range of industries including medical, fitness, military, environmental and food. The wearable medical device market has traditionally been dominated by activity trackers [1]; however, the conclusion of the Apple Heart Study and subsequent FDA approval of a watch based electrocardiogram shows the expansion of the wearable medical device market [2]. This work presents a generalized set of guidelines that can be followed to design wearable electrochemical sensing systems at a high technology readiness level. Specific emphasis is placed on the engineering tradeoffs involved in the design of the electronics and the sensing of biomedically important analytes. These guidelines are used as a blueprint in the development of a minimally invasive continuous glucose monitor. This system is tested and analyzed to confirm that it is operating as intended. The continued development and widespread adoption of wearable electrochemical sensors has the potential to provide a wealth of bioanalytical information which could have a tremendous impact on healthcare systems.