WearSense Workshop on Biomedical Wearables

As part of the WearSense project, the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, hosted representatives of the College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University (China) – Prof. Dr. Hao Wan, Yuzi Zeng, and Chicheng Ma. The workshop was organized under the leadership of WearSense project coordinator Prof. Dr. Ivana Murković Steinberg, bringing together researchers from FKIT, including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Anamarija Rogina and Prof. Dr. Marica Ivanković, as well as WearSense collaborators from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER), University of Zagreb, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Željka Lučev Vasić.

The scientific programme included a lecture by Prof. Dr. Hao Wan, entitled "Micro/Nano Biosensing Technologies towards Point-of-Care Testing and In-Vitro Drug Evaluation", followed by a lecture by Dr. Gerhard J. Mohr (JOANNEUM RESEARCH MATERIALS Institute), "Synergistic Indicator-Dye/Nanostructure Design for Optical Sensors with Tunable Properties". The lectures initiated discussions on the development of advanced biosensing and optical sensing platforms.

Research activities within the WearSense project were presented by Iva Karneluti through the presentation "Covalent Immobilisation of pH-Sensitive Azo Dyes on Cellulose Substrates for Colourimetric Response Studies", Ivana Perković through "Printed Hydrogel-Based Sensing Platforms on Textile Substrates for Dual pH and Urea Detection", and Dr. Huma Yilmaz, who presented fluorescent sensing materials based on quantum dots. The Zhejiang University team presented their research through Yuzi Zeng’s presentation "Detection of Sweat Biomarkers Based on Electrodes Printed on Fabric", while Chicheng Ma presented the application of data science approaches for the analysis of physiological parameters, including PPG signals, respiration, and SpO₂.

A dedicated part of the workshop focused on PPG measurements and the development of optical evaluation systems for physiological signals. Dr. Matthew D. Steinberg, together with Prof. Dr. Hao Wan, Dr. Deepak Joshy, and Chicheng Ma, contributed to the development and evaluation of systems based on PPG measurements, physiological parameter analysis, and tissue phantom applications. Dr. Deepak Joshy further presented the development of tissue phantoms for optical sensor evaluation, including reflectance measurements, CIELAB and smartphone-based colour analysis, and pulsatile tissue phantoms for heart rate and SpO₂ simulation.

The workshop concluded with a presentation by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Anamarija Rogina, who introduced the research activities of the LABTI research group, with emphasis on bone tissue engineering, biomaterials, and scaffold fabrication, highlighting opportunities for future interdisciplinary collaboration within the Faculty.

The workshop provided a valuable platform for knowledge exchange, scientific discussions, and planning of future joint activities aimed at developing multimodal wearable biomedical sensors integrating optical, electrochemical, and colourimetric sensing approaches.