SMARTSWEAT | Self-sampling sweat for personalised medicine

Region:

Wallonia

Financed by

SMARTSWEAT | Self-sampling sweat for personalised medicine

Diagnostics and patient monitoring are moving towards more personalised and less invasive approaches. SMARTSWEAT develops an innovative passive sweat collection device that transforms ordinary sweat into a reliable source of health information for diagnostics, therapy monitoring and future connected health applications.

Target group

The project is primarily aimed at organisations active in healthcare, life sciences and medical technology, including:

Hospitals and healthcare providers
Biotechnology and medical diagnostics companies
Stakeholders in personalised medicine
Developers of medical devices and connected health technologies
Research centres and laboratories specialising in biomarkers

Context

Human sweat contains a wealth of biomarkers that can provide valuable insights into health status, disease progression and treatment response. Despite this potential, sweat remains an underutilised biological sample because current collection methods often require sweat stimulation, specialised equipment or tightly controlled collection conditions.

These limitations make large-scale deployment and routine use outside specialised clinical environments difficult.

SMARTSWEAT addresses this challenge by developing a simple, reliable and standardised method for collecting unstimulated sweat. This innovative approach makes non-invasive diagnostics more accessible, supports the generation of new health data and creates new opportunities for personalised medicine and connected healthcare.

Objectives & results

SMARTSWEAT aims to develop an innovative device for the standardised collection of unstimulated sweat for diagnostic, therapeutic monitoring and personalised medicine applications.

The project will:

Develop a passive sweat collection system suitable for self-sampling at home
Stabilise and preserve samples through autonomous solid-phase drying
Preserve the integrity of sweat biomolecules for subsequent analysis
Ensure compatibility with a broad range of analytical techniques, including rapid tests, molecular analyses and omics approaches
Facilitate the transfer of existing diagnostic tests to this non-invasive sample matrix

Expected outcomes

A functional demonstrator enabling the standardised collection and preservation of unstimulated sweat for biomedical analyses
Validation of the device for diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring applications in acute and chronic respiratory diseases, including cystic fibrosis
Exploration of new applications in thoracic oncology and other personalised medicine approaches
A non-invasive sampling method compatible with a wide range of analytical platforms
New health data that can support AI-driven approaches and improve the accuracy, speed and predictive value of diagnostics
A technological foundation for future smart devices that use sweat as a continuous source of health information

Together, these outcomes will accelerate the adoption of non-invasive diagnostics, support the transition towards personalised medicine and create new opportunities for connected health technologies.

Approach

SMARTSWEAT brings together expertise in microfluidics, advanced materials, biomolecular analysis and clinical research to develop a complete solution for collecting and analysing unstimulated sweat.

1. Device development

The consortium designs an innovative passive sweat collection system that combines user comfort with high-quality sample collection.

2. Biomarker stabilisation and valorisation

Specific methods are developed to preserve target molecules and ensure compatibility with a wide range of biomedical analytical techniques.

3. Clinical validation

The device is evaluated in several diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring use cases, particularly in respiratory diseases and oncology.

4. Pre-industrialisation and manufacturing processes

Sirris plays a key role in preparing the technology for industrial deployment. The team contributes expertise in advanced manufacturing, micromanufacturing, polymer processing and design for manufacturability, supporting the development of pre-industrial prototypes, material selection and manufacturing solutions that enable future large-scale production.

Interested in the potential of non-invasive diagnostics?

Are you active in personalised medicine, medical technology or connected health?
Contact our expert to discover how SMARTSWEAT can support your innovation ambitions and explore opportunities for collaboration.

Contact Denis Vandormael