WEALTHY Project - Wearble Healthcare Systems for Vital Signs Monitoring
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The main objective of WEALTHY [1] is to set up a comfortable health monitoring system. This will be based on a "wearable" interface, implemented by integrating smart sensors (in fiber and yarn form), advanced signal processing techniques and modern telecommunication systems on a textile platform and by developing a monitoring system for data management with local intelligence in the form of a decision support unit.
Key focus areas are the assistance of cardiac patients during rehabilitation and also assist professional workers subject to considerable physical and psychological stress and/or environmental and professional health risks.
Conducting and piezoresistive materials in form of fiber and yarn are integrated in a garment and used as sensor and electrode elements. The simultaneous recording of vital signs allows parameters’ extrapolation and inter-signalelaboration that contribute to produce alert messages and synoptic patient table.
Strain fabric sensors based on piezoresistive yarns, and fabric electrodes realized with metal based yarns, enable the realization of wearable and wireless instrumented garments capable of recording physiological signals, to be used during the routinely activity, to be wear instead of a classical garment without any discomfort for the user.
Piezoresistive fabric sensors have been realised by using lycra [2] fabric coated with carbon loaded rubber and commercial electroconductive yarn ( PAC 250 dtx x 1 , by Europa NCT, Poland [3]. These fabrics behave as strain gauge sensors [4] and show piezoresistive properties [5] in response to an external mechanical stimulus. The coated lycra® fabric has been used to detect respiration signals, due to the higher efficiency shown of signal quality, compared with the other fabric sensor. The Europa yarn has been used for the activity sensors and knitted in the multifunctional fabric.
To improve the electrical signal quality in dynamic condition a hydro gel membrane purchased by ST&D Ltd (Belfast-UK)[6], has been used. This affects also the comfort as electrodes have a rough surface and a prolonged contact with the body can give rise to skin irritations
Washability and reusability - Conductive yarns and fabrics are resistant to repeated washing in aqueous solutions, the washed electrodes can be used to detect ECG signals and the signals detected shown that the performances of the conductive fabric are not affected by the washing process.
References
- ↑ http://www.wealthy-ist.com/
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spandex
- ↑ [http://www.europa.nct.pl/en/?s=6
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strain_gauge
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoresistive_effect
- ↑ http://www.std-ltd.com/index.php
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