Archive · 30 Nov 2025
Sweat Test Detects Inflammation Without Needles
Scientists in Hyderabad have created a special sensor that can detect inflammation in sweat instead of blood.
This could help people with heart disease or infections avoid painful needle pricks and trips to the hospital.
The sensor is made of a thin gold layer on a flexible plastic sheet.
It can measure a substance called C-reactive protein (CRP), which goes up when the body is fighting an infection or under stress.
The sensor is accurate and cheap to make.
In the future, it could be used in a small patch that sends results to a phone, making it easier for people to monitor their health at home.
Researchers at BITS Pilani Hyderabad developed a gold film sensor to detect C-reactive protein (CRP) in sweat.
The sensor is thin, flexible, and cheap, making it suitable for wearable patches.
CRP levels indicate inflammation and are currently measured through invasive blood tests.
The sensor detected CRP in the range of 1 to 35 nanograms per millilitre with high accuracy.
The long-term goal is to create a wearable patch that can communicate with a phone for at-home monitoring.
- Who
- Researchers at BITS Pilani Hyderabad
- What
- Developed a sweat-based sensor for detecting C-reactive protein (CRP)
- When
- Not specified
- Where
- Hyderabad, India
- Why
- To reduce the need for invasive blood tests and lab visits for inflammation monitoring
- Researchers
- BITS Pilani Hyderabad
- Sensor Material
- Gold film
- Detection Range
- 1 to 35 nanograms per millilitre
- Detection Limit
- 0.27 nanograms per millilitre
- Accuracy
- 96 to 102 per cent
- Cost
- ₹150 to ₹200 per sensor (estimated)
- Publication
- ACS Applied Nano Materials