A non-contact wearable device for monitoring epidermal molecular flux
Data files
Feb 21, 2025 version files 742.84 KB
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esf_fig1ebottom.csv
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esf_fig1etop1f.csv
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esf_fig2c.csv
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esf_fig2d.csv
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esf_fig3bbottom.csv
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esf_fig3btop.csv
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esf_fig3e.csv
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esf_fig3i.csv
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esf_fig3istastistics.csv
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esf_fig3j.csv
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esf_fig3jstatistics.csv
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esf_fig4b-1.csv
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esf_fig4b-2.csv
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esf_fig4c4g.csv
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esf_fig4e.csv
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esf_fig4f.csv
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esf_fig4h.csv
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esf_woundclosure.csv
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README.md
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Abstract
All existing wearable technologies rely on physical coupling to the body to establish optical, fluidic, thermal, and/or mechanical measurement interfaces. Here, we present a class of wearable device platform that relies instead on physical decoupling, to define an enclosed chamber immediately adjacent to the surface of the skin. Streams of vaporised molecular substances that pass out of or into the skin alter the properties of the microclimate defined within this chamber in ways that can be precisely quantified using an integrated collection of wireless sensors. A programmable, bistable valve dynamically controls access to the surrounding ambient, thereby creating a transient response that can be quantitatively related to the inward and outward flux of targeted species through analysis of the time dependent readings from the sensors. The systems reported here offer unique capabilities in measuring the flux of water vapour, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon dioxide from various locations on the body, each with distinct relevance to clinical care and/or exposure to hazardous vapours. Studies of healing processes associated with dermal wounds in normal and diabetic animal models and of responses in infected wound models reveal characteristic variations in flux that provide important insights, as use cases where the non-contact operation of the devices avoids potential damage to fragile tissues.
Description of the data and file structure
File names correspond to figures in the manuscript titled A non-contact wearable device for monitoring epidermal molecular flux. Data is structured as the title of the plot, headings including units, and data. Detailed descriptions for abbreviations and units can be found in the manuscript, some of the abbreviations are VOC: volatile organic compounds; RH: relative humidity; 8-OHdG: 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine
- esf_fig1ebottom: Time series data from gas sensors as the valve opens and closes through multiple cycles, showing effects from influx (atmospheric ethanol vapour).
- esf_fig1etop1f: Time series data from gas sensors as the valve opens and closes through multiple cycles, showing effects from outflux (biogenic water vapour).
- esf_fig2c: Computational analysis results indicating skin diffusive water resistance.
- esf_fig2d: Exponential decrease in skin impedance following from different levels of perspiration.
- esf_fig3bbottom: Example of inward epidermal VOC flux.
- esf_fig3btop: Example of outward epidermal VOC flux.
- esf_fig3e: Time series data associated with outward flux of CO2, corresponding to higher and lower diffusive resistance.
- esf_fig3i: Epidermal outward flux of VOCs in response to UV irradiation on mouse skin.
- esf_fig3istatistics: Statistical analysis of epidermal outward flux VOC in response to UV irradiation.
- esf_fig3j: Cellular oxidative stress marker (8-OHdG) activity in response to UV irradiation.
- esf_fig3jstatistics: Statistical analysis of cellular oxidative stress marker (8-OHdG) activity in response to UV irradiation.
- esf_fig4b-1: Transitions of water vapour flux values throughout the wound healing process for normal mouse.
- esf_fig4b-2: Transitions of VOC flux values throughout the wound healing process for normal mouse.
- esf_fig4c4g: Normalised recovery parameters (WC for wound closure, BR for barrier restoration) and VOC flux changes for normal and type-2 diabetic mice. Early increasesin the VOC flux indicating normal and anomalous inflammatory phase.
- esf_fig4e: Comparison of normal and diabetic wound healing pathways by water vapour flux analysis.
- esf_fig4f: Immunofluorescence analysis delayed keratinocyte terminal differentiation of diabetic group. Post-closure Filaggrin activity increase compared to WC and BR changes.
- esf_fig4h: Wound infection monitoring capability of the EFS. Onset and exponential increase of VOC emission from in vivo infected mouse wounds.
- esf_woundclosure: Wound closure data from normal and diabetic mice.
Sharing/Access information
Custom analysis code and data presented in this study, with the exception of human subject data, are available in the public repository. Human subject data including protected health information constitutes a limited data set defined by HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability). Completely de-identified human subject data can be provided upon request with a detailed description of the intended use at large to advance science and health. Requests sent to the corresponding author (Prof. John A. Rogers) via email (jrogers@northwestern.edu) will be subject to executing a data use agreement with Northwestern University, which can take one month or less.
Code/Software
A secured data management server mediated the upload, archiving, and downloading of raw measurement data from EFS devices connected to the server via a custom smartphone application. Custom Python (ver. 3.11.0) and Microsoft Visual Basic for Application (ver. 7.1) codes implementing the analysis principles subsequently processed the downloaded raw data in the form of Jason files to derive the measurement results. Supplementary Note 2 covers the analysis principles in detail.
The raw data in the form of csv or jason files were initially processed using custom Python 3.11.0 and Microsoft Visual Basic for Application
7.1 codes. All data (https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bk3j9kdp7) and custom analysis code (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14884409) are
available in the public repository. Additional software involved in data analysis include ImageJ 1.54m, SPSS 24, and Microsoft Excel 16.94.