Smart materials, dry textile sensors, and electronics integration in clothing, bed sheets, and pillow cases for neurological, cardiac and/or pulmonary monitoring
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11399769-B2
Publication Date
2022-08-02
Expiration Date
Abstract
Sensors mounted on a textile include at least one of electrically conductive textile electrodes; single or multiple optically coupled infrared and red emitter and photodiode or photo transistor; and thin film or Resistive Temperature Detector (RTD). Textile electrodes, electrical connections, and electrical functionalization use at least one of nanoparticles, nanostructures, and mesostructures. Conductive thread, for electrical connections, may include a fiber core made from conductive materials such as but not limited to metals, alloys, and graphine structures, and a sheath of insulating materials such as but not limited to nylon, polyester, and cotton.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a wearable remote electrophysiological monitoring system that includes a garment having at least one dry contact sensor. The dry contact sensor includes at least one nanostructured, textile-integrated electrode attached to the garment, and the nanostructured, textile-integrated electrode is configured so that nanostructures having vertically standing nanowires make contact with the wearer’s skin when the garment is worn.
The vertically standing nanowires are arranged on a piece of fabric that includes electrically conductive fibers, where the nanostructures project to varying lengths and are vertically standing when viewed relative to the fabric in a horizontal plane. The conductive fibers include textile fibers blended or coated with metal, and the vertically standing nanowires are comprised of polymer nanofibers coated with a conductive material.
The system further includes a control module in electrical communication with the nanostructured, textile-integrated electrode and a remote computing system in communication with the control module. The document also describes a garment-based dry electrode arrangement connected to the control module and remote computing system using wireless communication options, while maintaining dry contact sensing with nanostructured textile electrodes.
Claims Coverage
The document includes two independent claims. Both independent claims cover a wearable remote electrophysiological monitoring system with a garment-based dry contact sensor that uses a nanostructured, textile-integrated electrode, coupled to a control module and a remote computing system, with the primary inventive distinction in the specific nanostructured electrode construction parameters and dimensional/orientation constraints.
Garment-based dry contact sensor with nanostructured, textile-integrated electrode
A garment having at least one dry contact sensor, the dry contact sensor including at least one nanostructured, textile-integrated electrode attached thereto, the nanostructured, textile-integrated electrode including a piece of fabric having between 10,000 and 100,000 nanostructures per square centimeter of fabric, the fabric including electrically conductive fibers, said nanostructures having vertically standing nanowires projecting from the fibers to varying lengths between 0.01 and 10 micrometers, the nanowires arranged to make contact with the wearer’s skin, wherein the vertically standing nanowires are vertically standing when viewed relative to the fabric when the fabric is in a horizontal plane, wherein the conductive fibers include textile fibers blended or coated with metal, wherein the vertically standing nanowires are comprised of polymer nanofibers coated with a conductive material.
Electrode-to-control-module and control-module-to-remote computing communication
A control module in electrical communication with the at least one nanostructured, textile-integrated electrode; and a remote computing system in communication with the control module.
Garment-based dry contact sensor with nanostructured, textile-integrated electrode with sub-micrometer projection lengths
A garment having at least one dry contact sensor, the dry contact sensor including at least one nanostructured, textile-integrated electrode attached thereto, the nanostructured, textile-integrated electrode including a piece of fabric having between 10,000 and 100,000 nanostructures per square centimeter of fabric, the fabric including electrically conductive fibers, said nanostructures having vertically standing nanowires, each of the nanostructures projects from the fibers to varying lengths of less than one micrometer, the nanowires arranged to make contact with the wearer’s skin, wherein the vertically standing nanowires are vertically standing when viewed relative to the fabric when the fabric is in a horizontal plane, wherein the conductive fibers include textile fibers blended or coated with metal, wherein the vertically standing nanowires are comprised of polymer nanofibers coated with a conductive material.
Electrode-to-control-module and control-module-to-remote computing communication
A control module in electrical communication with the at least one nanostructured, textile-integrated electrode; and a remote computing system in communication with the control module.
Across the independent claims, the inventive core is a dry electrophysiological monitoring sensor built into a garment via a nanostructured, textile-integrated electrode having a specified nanostructure density, vertically standing polymer-nanofiber-based conductive nanowires projecting from conductive textile fibers, and an orientation condition when the fabric is in a horizontal plane. Both independent claims require a control module electrically connected to the electrode and a remote computing system communicating with the control module.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Wearable remote electrophysiological monitoring.
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