Recent Progress and Opportunities of Wearable Non-Invasive Epidermal Sensors for Skin Disease Diagnosis.

Abstract

With deteriorating environment and increased stress in modern life, skin diseases have become the fourth leading cause of nonfatal and chronic diseases. An early diagnosis might improve the chances of a successful treatment. Wearable epidermal sensors have been emerged as new non-invasive tools for clinical practice and research in dermatology, which can act as a complement to the otherwise mostly visual and tactile judgments. This review discusses the recent progress and opportunities of wearable epidermal sensors for skin disease diagnosis. The configuration, material choice, and fundamental platforms of wearable epidermal sensors are first summarized. Then, their emerging application in monitoring skin diseases is demonstrated by detecting skin hardness, skin hydration, and biomakers. With the advances highlighted here and the ongoing research efforts, the continuous breakthrough in wearable epidermal sensors and their attractive application in skin disease management is foreseeable in the future.