A wearable device that alerts people with food allergies before a reaction begins has the potential to reduce life-threatening anaphylaxis and transform allergy management from reactive to preventive care.

The AllergE patch is a microneedle-based biosensor developed by researchers at KAUST that painlessly detects immunoglobulin E (IgE), the antibody that triggers allergic reactions, directly from the fluid beneath the skin.

Food allergies — especially to eggs, nuts, milk, and seafood — are a growing public health concern. Conventional allergy tests, such as skin pricks and blood draws, are invasive, time-consuming, and carry the risk of provoking mild reactions. By contrast, the AllergE patch is painless and quick, relying on an array of tiny, porous needles — each less than a millimeter long and about the width of a human hair.

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