A fully integrated smart ring for daily biochemical monitoring
Abstract Biochemical analysis complements biophysical measurements by capturing the underlying molecular and metabolic changes that drive physiological health. Here, we introduce a compact, fully integrated smart ring capable of simultaneously monitoring multiple chemical biomarkers in real-time — marking a true biochemical counterpart to existing smart rings. Our ring can continuously measure glucose, ketone, ascorbic acid, uric acid, lactate, and alcohol from passive osmotically extracted sweat, is powered by custom-built high-capacity flexible Zn-AgO batteries, and comprises ultra-compact, energy-efficient electronics for data processing and wireless transmission. It can support ~12 hours of continuous monitoring and preserves personalized calibration stability for ~2 months. The simultaneous biomarker monitoring was validated under diverse daily settings. Reliable, continuous monitoring of glucose and ketone levels showed strong agreement with commercial blood meters and continuous glucose monitors in both healthy and type 1 diabetic individuals, confirming the ring’s accuracy even for at-risk population. Overall, our ring extends beyond commercial smart rings focusing on only biophysical signals, by enabling continuous assessment of biochemical changes and advancing the development of next generation personalized and miniaturized healthcare technologies.
Authors
- Yushan Xian
- Kittiya Sakdaphetsiri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4764-7314)
- Abdulhameed Abdal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7397-5920)
- Muhammad Inam Khan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1216-8137)
- Sheng Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3120-4992)
- Barak Sabbagh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5682-5144)
- Shichao Ding (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3795-306X)
- Samar S. Sandhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2941-7649)
- Tamoghna Saha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0753-3577)
- Muyang Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6627-6294)
- Hao Luan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1251-7480)
- Siyu Qin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7103-1953)
- Omeed Djassemi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6061-3316)
- Joseph Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4921-9674)
- Selene Tang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2007-6128)
- Yi Fung Winsten Lam
- Rosie Pham
- Te Gu
- Gaoyuan Ji
- Hannah Fishman
- Zongnan Wang
Institutions
- University of California San Diego (US)
- La Jolla Bioengineering Institute (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2026-07-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75980-z
- Primary Topic
- Spectroscopy Techniques in Biomedical and Chemical Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Chulalongkorn University
- Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences
- University of California, San Diego
- Division of Materials Research
- Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, University of California, San Diego