Skin Health

Skin Flux Sensors for Wound & Dermatologic Monitoring

LEAD: Amy Paller, MS, MD, Walter J. Hamlin Professor and Chair of the Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine

Base Technology: Skin flux sensor, published 2025

Technology status: Working prototypes

Clinical status: Demonstration study

Clinical interface: Dermatology, Neonatology

Possible commercial path: Newco

Clinical Team: Amy Paller, MD; Debra Weese-Mayer, MD

Engineering Team: QSIB and QSI-TEAMS

Clinical Goal: Enroll ~100 study subjects with skin disorders; 50 neonates

Engineering Goals: (1) Validate technology, (2) Optimize usability

Collaborative Goals: (1) Improve clinical work flow, (2) Establish clinical utility

Outcome: Publication in a top clinical journal; IP protection

In genetic disorders that present with redness and scaling ("epidermal differentiation disorders/EDD", sometimes called ichthyosis), the skin barrier is structurally inadequate and functions poorly. As a result, the skin loses water more readily, leading to chronic dryness, irritation, and increased susceptibility to infection and injury. Clinicians currently assess barrier function using bulky, expensive tools that are only available in specialized clinics and provide only a single point-in-time measurement.

To address this challenge, our multidisciplinary team has developed a small, wireless, wearable sensor that measures the movement of water ("transepidermal skin flux) or other compounds through the skin. Unlike conventional devices, this sensor can be worn during normal daily activities or throughout the night, enabling real-time monitoring of skin barrier function outside of the clinic. In a pilot study published in Nature, the device's readings showed a near-perfect correlation with the clinical gold-standard device.

Beyond water loss, the sensor can also noninvasively detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) given off by the skin, potentially offering insight into skin health, barrier integrity, healing, and infection.

Our ongoing research is evaluating this technology in individuals with epidermal differentiation disorders to determine whether the sensor can detect changes after moisturizer application, monitor fluctuations in skin barrier function over time, and generate the first large-scale dataset of continuous skin flux measurements in this patient population. This work aims to support more personalized management of chronic skin disease through continuous, noninvasive monitoring.