"Wearable Biosensing Platforms for Continuous Physiological Monitoring Toward Chronic Disease Management" 

Yumin Dai, MSE PhD Candidate 

Advisor: Professor Chi Hwan Le

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ABSTRACT

Chronic diseases often require continuous monitoring of physiologically relevant biomarkers and biomechanical signals, whereas conventional clinical measurements are typically limited to isolated time points and may fail to capture dynamic changes under real-world conditions. This dissertation presents wearable biosensing platforms for continuous physiological monitoring in interstitial fluid and the eye toward chronic disease management. For interstitial fluid monitoring, a wearable sensor patch integrating hydrogel microneedles with an electrochemical sensing system was developed for in situ biomarker analysis, enabling rapid extraction and real-time detection of glucose and lactate. Predictive modeling was incorporated to analyze and compensate for sensing delay during in vivo measurements, supporting improved monitoring of diabetes and related metabolic disorders. For ocular applications, where biosafety, comfort, and preservation of the native tissue interface impose more stringent requirements, passive wireless resonant sensing strategies were developed for noninvasive intraocular pressure monitoring. A soft contact lens sensor incorporating a liquid-metal-based resonant circuit enabled stable measurements under closed-eye, recumbent, and sleep-like conditions, supporting assessment of nocturnal intraocular pressure dynamics relevant to glaucoma management. This sensing strategy was further extended to a scleral lens–integrated sensor for continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure-related dynamics during scleral lens wear, broadening the application range of resonant ocular sensing while preserving the native lens-eye interface through placement of the sensing element within the post-lens tear reservoir and away from the cornea. By enabling continuous during-wear assessment under native scleral lens conditions, this platform provides a practical approach for investigating whether scleral lens wear induces clinically meaningful intraocular pressure elevation. Together, these studies establish a translational framework for tailoring wearable biosensing strategies to distinct physiological environments and clinical constraints for improved chronic disease monitoring and management.