HardwareX (Sep 2023)

We-VoltamoStat: A wearable potentiostat for voltammetry analysis with a smartphone interface

  • Nur Fatin Adini Ibrahim,
  • Anas Mohd Noor,
  • Norhayati Sabani,
  • Zulkarnay Zakaria,
  • Asnida Abdul Wahab,
  • Asrulnizam Abd Manaf,
  • Shazlina Johari

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15
p. e00441

Abstract

Read online

Wearable technology, such as electronic components integrated into clothing or worn as accessories, is becoming increasingly prevalent in fields like healthcare and biomedical monitoring. These devices allow for continuous monitoring of important biomarkers for medical diagnosis, monitoring of physiological health, and evaluation. However, an open-source wearable potentiostat is a relatively new technology that still faces several design limitations such as short battery lifetime, bulky size, heavy weight, and the requirement for a wire for data transmission, which affects comfortability during long periods of measurement. In this work, an open-source wearable potentiostat device named We-VoltamoStat is developed to allow interested parties to use and modify the device for creating new products, research, and teaching purposes. The proposed device includes improved and added features, such as wireless real-time signal monitoring and data collection. It also has an ultra-low power consumption battery estimated to deliver 15 mA during operating mode for 33 h and 20 min and 5 mA during standby mode for 100 h without recharging. Its convenience for wearable applications, tough design, and compact size of 67x54x38 mm make it suitable for wearable applications. Cost-effectiveness is another advantage, with a price less than 120 USD. Validation performance tests indicate that the device has good accuracy, with an R2 value of 0.99 for linear regression of test accuracy on milli-, micro-, and nano-Ampere detection. In the future, it is recommended to improve the design and add more features to the device, including new applications for wearable potentiostats.

Keywords