TY  - JOUR
A1  - Brendtke, Rico
A1  - Wiehl, Michael
A1  - Groeber, Florian
A1  - Schwarz, Thomas
A1  - Walles, Heike
A1  - Hansmann, Jan
T1  - Feasibility Study on a Microwave-Based Sensor for Measuring Hydration Level Using Human Skin Models
T2  - PLoS ONE
N2  - Tissue dehydration results in three major types of exsiccosis—hyper-, hypo-, or isonatraemia. All three types entail alterations of salt concentrations leading to impaired biochemical processes, and can finally cause severe morbidity. The aim of our study was to demonstrate the feasibility of a microwave-based sensor technology for the non-invasive measurement of the hydration status. Electromagnetic waves at high frequencies interact with molecules, especially water. Hence, if a sample contains free water molecules, this can be detected in a reflected microwave signal. To develop the sensor system, human three-dimensional skin equivalents were instituted as a standardized test platform mimicking reproducible exsiccosis scenarios. Therefore, skin equivalents with a specific hydration and density of matrix components were generated and microwave measurements were performed. Hydration-specific spectra allowed deriving the hydration state of the skin models. A further advantage of the skin equivalents was the characterization of the impact of distinct skin components on the measured signals to investigate mechanisms of signal generation. The results demonstrate the feasibility of a non-invasive microwave-based hydration sensor technology. The sensor bears potential to be integrated in a wearable medical device for personal health monitoring.
KW  - gels
KW  - microwave radiation
KW  - collagens
KW  - skin physiology
KW  - reflection
KW  - skin anatomy
KW  - epidermis
KW  - antennas
Y1  - 2016
UR  - https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17993
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-179934
VL  - 11
IS  - 4
ER  -