Abe Yuina, Nishizawa Matsuhiko
Department of Finemechanics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-01 Aramaki-aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan.
APL Bioeng. 2021 Nov 18;5(4):041509. doi: 10.1063/5.0064529. eCollection 2021 Dec.
Skin is one of the indispensable organs for life. The epidermis at the outermost surface provides a permeability barrier to infectious agents, chemicals, and excessive loss of water, while the dermis and subcutaneous tissue mechanically support the structure of the skin and appendages, including hairs and secretory glands. The integrity of the integumentary system is a key for general health, and many techniques have been developed to measure and control this protective function. In contrast, the effective skin barrier is the major obstacle for transdermal delivery and detection. Changes in the electrical properties of skin, such as impedance and ionic activity, is a practical indicator that reflects the structures and functions of the skin. For example, the impedance that reflects the hydration of the skin is measured for quantitative assessment in skincare, and the current generated across a wound is used for the evaluation and control of wound healing. Furthermore, the electrically charged structure of the skin enables transdermal drug delivery and chemical extraction. This paper provides an overview of the electrical aspects of the skin and summarizes current advances in the development of devices based on these features.
皮肤是生命中不可或缺的器官之一。最外层的表皮为感染因子、化学物质和水分过度流失提供了渗透屏障，而真皮和皮下组织则为皮肤及其附属器（包括毛发和分泌腺）的结构提供机械支撑。皮肤系统的完整性是整体健康的关键，人们已经开发出许多技术来测量和控制这种保护功能。相比之下，有效的皮肤屏障是经皮给药和检测的主要障碍。皮肤电学性质的变化，如阻抗和离子活性，是反映皮肤结构和功能的一个实用指标。例如，在护肤品中，通过测量反映皮肤水合作用的阻抗进行定量评估，而伤口产生的电流则用于评估和控制伤口愈合。此外，皮肤的带电结构使得经皮给药和化学提取成为可能。本文概述了皮肤的电学方面，并总结了基于这些特性的设备开发的当前进展。
