Method and kit for sweat activity measurement
First Claim
1. A kit for monitoring sweat activity, comprising:
- an electronic processing unit for measuring a conductance signal; and
a set of three electrodes to be positioned on skin sites of a subject,wherein the electronic processing unit comprises an electrode drive circuit for applying a periodic signal with a predetermined frequency of less than 60 Hz to at least one of the electrodes to reduce the contribution from the stratum corneum complex admittance, and an immittance measuring circuit for measuring at least a conductance signal received from at least one of the electrodes, andwherein the electronic processing unit is configured to identify fluctuations in the conductance signals and to use a level of such fluctuations as a measure of sweat activity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to sweat activity measurement, e.g. for determining a physiological state of a subject, embodied by a method as well as a kit with an immittance measuring circuit and electrodes with contact electrolyte. Sweat activity is considered a transport phenomenon and can be defined as a flux, e.g. gram water per skin area per second. Prior art methods determining water absorbed per gram dry stratum corneum measures skin moisture and do not truly reflect sweat activity. A periodic signal with frequency of 60 Hz or lower is applied to reduce contribution from complex admittance of the skin, and skin conductance is measured as a degree of sweat activity. The contact electrolyte allows filling of sweat ducts with sweat from sweat glands, this may be characterized in that it does not substantially fill the sweat ducts when being positioned on the skin and/or in that it has a re-absorption time constant from the sweat ducts into the Epidermis of less than 15 min.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A kit for monitoring sweat activity, comprising:
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an electronic processing unit for measuring a conductance signal; and a set of three electrodes to be positioned on skin sites of a subject, wherein the electronic processing unit comprises an electrode drive circuit for applying a periodic signal with a predetermined frequency of less than 60 Hz to at least one of the electrodes to reduce the contribution from the stratum corneum complex admittance, and an immittance measuring circuit for measuring at least a conductance signal received from at least one of the electrodes, and wherein the electronic processing unit is configured to identify fluctuations in the conductance signals and to use a level of such fluctuations as a measure of sweat activity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for determining a physiological state of a subject by registering sweat activity caused by the sympathetic nervous system, the method comprising:
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applying a kit to a subject, wherein the kit comprises; an electronic processing unit for measuring a conductance signal and a set of three electrodes to be positioned on skin sites of the subject, wherein the electronic processing unit comprises an electrode drive circuit for applying a periodic signal with a predetermined frequency of less than 60 Hz to at least one of the electrodes to reduce the contribution from the stratum corneum complex admittance, and an immittance measuring circuit for measuring at least a conductance signal received from at least one of the electrodes, and wherein the electronic processing unit is configured to identify fluctuations in the conductance signals and to use a level of such fluctuations as a measure of sweat activity; and monitoring sweat activity of the subject using the kit. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for monitoring sweat activity of a subject over time, the method comprising:
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providing an electronic processing unit for measuring a conductance signal via a set of three electrodes to be positioned on skin sites of a subject; arranging the electrodes in electric contact with the skin via a contact electrolyte, wherein the contract electrolyte does not substantially fill the sweat ducts when positioned on the skin or has a re-absorption time constant from the sweat ducts into the epidermis of less than 15 minutes; applying a periodic signal with a predetermined frequency of less than 60 Hz to the electrodes to reduce the contribution from the stratum corneum complex admittance; measuring at least a conductance signal received from the electrodes; and identifying fluctuations in the conductance signals and using a level of such fluctuations as a measure of sweat activity. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification