Textile-based medical sensor systems are flexible sensors made of textiles that are capable of sensing and recording a subject’s physiological signals without any form of active interaction with the subject, potentially providing personalization in the face of many health challenges. Specialized medical solutions have also brought innovative high-tech applications and new market segments to traditional textiles. Biosensors for a variety of signal monitoring can be developed using textile materials. Among them, the sensors used for biophysical signal monitoring mainly include electrophysiological signal sensors, mechanical textile sensors, temperature sensors, etc.
Electrophysiological signal sensor
The rapid development of new textile dry electrodes has brought revolutionary changes to electrophysiological signal acquisition technology, which can meet the needs of monitoring signals from the body anytime and anywhere. electrical signals, etc. Electrophysiological signal monitoring technology based on textile dry electrodes has been widely used in the daily collection of key biopotential signals such as electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, electromyography, electrodermal electrode and electrooculogram. For example, Japan’s Toray has developed a textile electrode technology, which is a highly conductive polyester nanofiber fabric impregnated with conductive polymer (PEDOT: PSS), which can increase the contact between the textile electrode and the monitoring surface and is resistant to washing cycle.
Embroidering electrodes on the sleeve fabric can record electromyography and analyze the dynamics of movement to identify muscle activation and Detects muscle fatigue to help improve performance and promote healthy training. At the same time, textile electrodes can also be used to control hand and wrist activities with high precision by recording electromyography.
Mechanical textile sensor
Biomechanical textile sensors can capture the body’s movements and be used to assess conditions such as Parkinson’s disease that affect motor skills. For example, yarn-type textile sensors are placed on the surface of joints (such as knees or elbows) to monitor the movement of limbs for rehabilitation and training, as well as monitoring small deformations in the throat, canthus of the eyes, etc.; fabric pressure sensors are integrated in socks or insoles. /Shoes, meeting the needs of post-stroke rehabilitation and gait monitoring of clinical patients with diabetes-related pathologies.
Temperature sensor
According to the temperature monitoring method, textile temperature sensors can be divided into three categories: pyroelectric temperature monitors, resistive temperature monitors and thermistors. The typical representative of currently existing temperature sensor products is the “LifeShirt” vest developed by the American company VivoMetrics, which monitors body temperature through embedded optical fibers.
In addition, accurate plantar body temperature monitoring can be used to evaluate health status. Currently, there are only a few mature products on the market abroad, such as smart socks developed by American infant health care company Owelt. Sensors are built into the smart socks to monitor the baby’s skin temperature, heart rate, pulse, blood oxygen content and other data. Siren Company has developed a pair of socks for diabetic patients. Micro temperature sensors are implanted in the corresponding parts of the socks to monitor changes in the temperature of the soles of the feet.
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