Sky News: Could interstitial fluid replace blood?
UC graduate discusses new frontier of health monitoring
Sky News highlighted University of Cincinnati research into the next frontier of continuous health monitoring.
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science graduate Mark Friedel developed a prototype sensor that monitors chemicals found in the interstitial fluid just under your skin. The sensor uses tiny microneedles that pick up information about your health that can be tracked over time.
UC biomedical engineering graduate Mark Friedel and his research collaborators developed wearable technology in UC professor Jason Heikenfeld's Novel Devices Lab. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
He co-authored a study looking at the potential for interstitial fluid in continuous health monitoring that was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Interstitial fluid contains many of the same chemicals and biomarkers that doctors use in blood to diagnose disease or track health and wellness, Friedel told Local 12.
Friedel developed the sensor in UC professor Jason Heikenfeld's Novel Devices Lab.
“Why we see it as a valuable diagnostic fluid is continuous access. With blood, you can’t easily take continuous readings,” Friedel said.
Featured image at top: UC's Mantei Center is a cornerstone of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
More UC biomedical engineering in the news
University of Cincinnati biomedical engineers say sensors that monitor interstitial fluid could be the next frontier for wearable technology. Photo/Mark Friedel
- National Science Foundation: Getting under your skin for better health
- Technology Networks: Advantages and challenges of using interstitial fluid in diagnostics
- Laboratory Equipment: Interstitial fluid could better monitor health
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science professor Jason Heikenfeld and his students develop wearable technology in his Novel Devices Lab. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
Related Stories
UC opens zebrafish research facility to study infertility
April 6, 2026
The University of Cincinnati is launching a state-of-the-art zebrafish research facility that scientists say could help explain how environmental toxins affect fertility, as WKRC-TV/Local 12 and WLWT-TV/Ch. 5 recently reported.
UC launches new Center for Public Health
April 6, 2026
The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine recently announced Suzanne Judd, PhD, as the inaugural director of its new Center for Public Health. The hire follows a national search launched in August 2025, as the Cincinnati Business Courier reported.
High Court offers protections for therapy speech
April 5, 2026
Jennifer Bard, a professor in the Donald P. Klekamp College of Law and the UC Department of Internal Medicine, spoke with journalists about the US Supreme Court ruling granting first amendment protections for speech offered during therapy sessions.