Your skin isn’t just glowing — it’s gassy. And now, science is sniffing it out.
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed the world’s first contactless wearable device that may monitor your health by measuring gases naturally emitted and absorbed by the skin without ever touching it.
“This technology has the potential to rework clinical care, particularly for vulnerable populations, including newborn babies, the elderly, patients with diabetes, and others with compromised skin,” said Dr. Guillermo A. Ameer, a professor of biomedical engineering who co-led the study.
Secret signals
Your skin isn’t only a barrier; it’s a two-way street between your body and the surface world.
On daily basis, gases like carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) move out and in through the skin, which also protects you from irritants, toxins and allergens within the environment.
The device developed by Northwestern researchers can monitor all that activity without even laying a finger on you, opening up a brand new window into skin health.
Small but mighty
The gadget is tiny — just two centimeters long and one-and-a-half wide — and loaded with sensors that pull in gas samples through a mini air chamber that hovers just above the skin without making contact.
That’s a game-changer, since most wearable devices have to stick on to the skin, which is usually a challenge for individuals with fragile or damaged tissue.
The information it gathers can provide insights into the whole lot from wound healing and hydration levels to early signs of infection and even exposure to toxic chemicals.
“For staff in potentially hazardous environments, it’s helpful to know the way much of those hazardous species are entering the body through the skin,” said Dr. John Rogers, a professor and researcher at Northwestern who co-led the study.
Real-time monitoring at your fingertips
Considered one of the most important perks of the compact wearable is that it will allow patients to administer their skin health at home, eliminating the necessity for bulky, traditional hospital equipment.
Even higher, it syncs along with your smartphone or tablet to offer real-time data on the gases your skin is emitting and absorbing.
Researchers said this fast, accessible information might help healthcare providers make quicker, more informed treatment decisions, which is very crucial for wound healing.
“Prescribing antibiotics for wounds is usually a little bit of a chance,” said Ameer. “Sometimes it’s hard to inform if a wound is infected or not. By the point it’s obvious, it is likely to be too late, and the patient can develop sepsis, which is incredibly dangerous.”
Increased water vapor, CO2, and VOCs are linked to bacterial growth and slower healing, so researchers said monitoring these aspects could help caregivers detect infections earlier and more accurately, enabling faster intervention and higher health outcomes.
“Having the ability to closely, constantly monitor a wound and prescribe an antibiotic on the earliest sign of infection is an obvious and vital interest,” Ameer said.
Next steps
The Northwestern team envisions the device getting used to boost the effectiveness of bug repellents, skincare products and medications designed to enhance skin health.
For instance, CO2 and VOCs attract mosquitoes and other pests. By measuring these emissions from the skin, it could help scientists develop higher strategies to maintain them away.
The device could also help dermatologists measure how quickly lotions and creams penetrate the skin, while assisting researchers in evaluating the security of cosmetics and private care products.
Looking ahead, researchers wish to refine the device’s capabilities, including adding a sensor to watch changes in pH levels and creating gas sensors with more chemical selectivity for early detection of organ dysfunction and other diseases.
“This technology is just not nearly measuring gases and corresponding characteristics of the skin,” Rogers said.
“It’s about predicting overall health, stopping infection and disease, and making a future where personalized care is driven by real-time, non-invasive continuous health tracking,” he continued.
Your skin isn’t just glowing — it’s gassy. And now, science is sniffing it out.
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed the world’s first contactless wearable device that may monitor your health by measuring gases naturally emitted and absorbed by the skin without ever touching it.
“This technology has the potential to rework clinical care, particularly for vulnerable populations, including newborn babies, the elderly, patients with diabetes, and others with compromised skin,” said Dr. Guillermo A. Ameer, a professor of biomedical engineering who co-led the study.
Secret signals
Your skin isn’t only a barrier; it’s a two-way street between your body and the surface world.
On daily basis, gases like carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) move out and in through the skin, which also protects you from irritants, toxins and allergens within the environment.
The device developed by Northwestern researchers can monitor all that activity without even laying a finger on you, opening up a brand new window into skin health.
Small but mighty
The gadget is tiny — just two centimeters long and one-and-a-half wide — and loaded with sensors that pull in gas samples through a mini air chamber that hovers just above the skin without making contact.
That’s a game-changer, since most wearable devices have to stick on to the skin, which is usually a challenge for individuals with fragile or damaged tissue.
The information it gathers can provide insights into the whole lot from wound healing and hydration levels to early signs of infection and even exposure to toxic chemicals.
“For staff in potentially hazardous environments, it’s helpful to know the way much of those hazardous species are entering the body through the skin,” said Dr. John Rogers, a professor and researcher at Northwestern who co-led the study.
Real-time monitoring at your fingertips
Considered one of the most important perks of the compact wearable is that it will allow patients to administer their skin health at home, eliminating the necessity for bulky, traditional hospital equipment.
Even higher, it syncs along with your smartphone or tablet to offer real-time data on the gases your skin is emitting and absorbing.
Researchers said this fast, accessible information might help healthcare providers make quicker, more informed treatment decisions, which is very crucial for wound healing.
“Prescribing antibiotics for wounds is usually a little bit of a chance,” said Ameer. “Sometimes it’s hard to inform if a wound is infected or not. By the point it’s obvious, it is likely to be too late, and the patient can develop sepsis, which is incredibly dangerous.”
Increased water vapor, CO2, and VOCs are linked to bacterial growth and slower healing, so researchers said monitoring these aspects could help caregivers detect infections earlier and more accurately, enabling faster intervention and higher health outcomes.
“Having the ability to closely, constantly monitor a wound and prescribe an antibiotic on the earliest sign of infection is an obvious and vital interest,” Ameer said.
Next steps
The Northwestern team envisions the device getting used to boost the effectiveness of bug repellents, skincare products and medications designed to enhance skin health.
For instance, CO2 and VOCs attract mosquitoes and other pests. By measuring these emissions from the skin, it could help scientists develop higher strategies to maintain them away.
The device could also help dermatologists measure how quickly lotions and creams penetrate the skin, while assisting researchers in evaluating the security of cosmetics and private care products.
Looking ahead, researchers wish to refine the device’s capabilities, including adding a sensor to watch changes in pH levels and creating gas sensors with more chemical selectivity for early detection of organ dysfunction and other diseases.
“This technology is just not nearly measuring gases and corresponding characteristics of the skin,” Rogers said.
“It’s about predicting overall health, stopping infection and disease, and making a future where personalized care is driven by real-time, non-invasive continuous health tracking,” he continued.
