Fibre optic sweat sensor

Abstract

A sensor for sweat or other aqueous discharge onto skin comprises a plastic optical fibre comprising a core and cladding, said core being in intimate contact at a first end with a light emitter and at a second end with a light detector, and said fibre having a sensing zone in which the cladding is replaced by a water-permeable translucent biocompatible polymer containing dispersed therein a biocompatible indicator that varies the intensity of an optical signal at a selected wavelength depending on whether the indicator is wet or dry. Such a sensor permits real time monitoring of sweating or other discharge, and can also enable electronic recording and/or remote monitoring.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.