Abstract
Excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation induces acute and chronic effects on the skin, eye and immune system. Personalized monitoring of UV radiation is thus paramount to measure the extent of personal sun exposure, which could vary with environment, lifestyle, and sunscreen use. Here, we demonstrate an ultralow modulus, stretchable, skin-mounted UV patch that measures personal UV doses. The patch contains functional layers of ultrathin stretchable electronics and a photosensitive patterned dye that reacts to UV radiation. Color changes in the photosensitive dyes correspond to UV radiation intensity and are analyzed with a smartphone camera. A software application has feature recognition, lighting condition correction, and quantification algorithms that detect and quantify changes in color. These color changes are then correlated with corresponding shifts in UV dose, and compared to existing UV dose risk levels. The soft mechanics of the UV patch allow for multi-day wear in the presence of sunscreen and water. Two evaluation studies serve to demonstrate the utility of the UV patch during daily activities with and without sunscreen application.
Highlights
UV radiation is essential for production of vitamin D and beneficial for human health, but over-exposure to UV has many associated risk factors, including skin cancer and photo-aging [1, 2]
The polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer, there is a thin layer of skin adhesive that couples the UV patch with the skin (Fig 1A)
Ultraviolet Index (UVI) represents the strength of sunburn-producing UV radiation
Summary
UV radiation is essential for production of vitamin D and beneficial for human health, but over-exposure to UV has many associated risk factors, including skin cancer and photo-aging [1, 2]. The acute effects of excessive UVA and UVB exposure are usually short-lived and reversible Such effects include erythema, pigment darkening and sunburn [3, 4]. The research presented in this paper resulted in a commercial product My UV Patch launched by La Roche-Posay Dermatological Laboratories, L’Oreal. This commercial affiliation does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
