Photonic integrated chip for wearable physiological and biochemical sensing

With the increasing need to monitor physiological and biochemical signals, flexible wearable optical sensors have attracted considerable attention because of their ability to attach to human skin for monitoring purposes. However, existing optical sensors face limitations in terms of integration, sensitivity, and versatility, which restrict their practical application. In this study, a fully integrated polydimethylsiloxane/poly (methyl methacrylate) (PDMS/PMMA)-based photonic integrated chip is developed for human physiological and biochemical measurements. It integrates microring resonators (MRRs), Mach–Zehnder modulator (MZM), Mach–Zehnder interferometers (MZIs), and a microfluidic chip and can measure skin temperature, pulse, blood pressure, ECG, blood glucose, and sweat glucose. The good skin fit makes this photonic integrated chip an innovative solution for continuous physiological and biochemical measurements, which holds substantial promise in redefining standard clinical practices for early disease detection and management.