University of California, San Diego researchers have developed an in-ear sensor system that combines electrochemical and electrophysiological sensors on a flexible substrate integrated with earphones. This system allows for the simultaneous monitoring of lactate levels and various brain states using electroencephalography (EEG), electrooculography (EOG), and electrodermal activity.
During exercise, the device detected increased lactate levels in sweat while observing changes in brain activity across different EEG frequency bands. This innovation offers a less cumbersome and more practical alternative to existing brain and sweat-sensing devices.
The potential applications include long-term health monitoring, detecting neurodegenerative conditions, and monitoring physical exercise, stress, and focus levels. This research is published in a Nature Biomedical Engineering article.
Ref: Xu Y, De la Paz E, Paul A, et al. In-ear integrated sensor array for the continuous monitoring of brain activity and of lactate in sweat. Nature Biomedical Engineering. Published online September 28, 2023:1-14. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-023-01095-1