
via Nanowerk
Researchers at Université Laval’s Faculty of Science and Engineering and its Center for Optics, Photonics, and Lasers have created a smart T-shirt that monitors the wearer’s respiratory rate in real time. This innovation, the details of which are published in the latest edition of Sensors, paves the way for manufacturing clothing that could be used to diagnose respiratory illnesses or monitor people suffering from asthma, sleep apnea, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Unlike other methods of measuring respiratory rate, the smart T-shirt works without any wires, electrodes, or sensors attached to the user’s body, explains Younès Messaddeq, the professor who led the team that developed the technology. “The T-shirt is really comfortable and doesn’t inhibit the subject’s natural movements. Our tests show that the data captured by the shirt is reliable, whether the user is lying down, sitting, standing, or moving around.”
The key to the smart T-shirt is an antenna sewn in at chest level that’s made of a hollow optical fiber coated with a thin layer of silver on its inner surface. The fiber’s exterior surface is covered in a polymer that protects it against the environment. “The antenna does double?duty, sensing and transmitting the signals created by respiratory movements,” adds Professor Messaddeq, who also holds the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Photonic Innovations. “The data can be sent to the user’s smartphone or a nearby computer.”
As the wearer breathes in, the smart fiber senses the increase in both thorax circumference and the volume of air in the lungs, explains Messaddeq. “These changes modify some of the resonant frequency of the antenna. That’s why the T-shirt doesn’t need to be tight or in direct contact with the wearer’s skin. The oscillations that occur with each breath are enough for the fiber to sense the user’s respiratory rate.”
To assess the durability of their invention, the researchers put a T-shirt equipped with an antenna through the wash—literally. “After 20 washes, the antenna had withstood the water and detergent and was still in good working condition,” says Messaddeq.
Learn more: Researchers create a T-shirt that monitors the wearer’s breathing rate in real time
[osd_subscribe categories=’smart-clothing’ placeholder=’Email Address’ button_text=’Subscribe Now for any new posts on the topic “SMART CLOTHING’]
The Latest on: Smart clothing
[google_news title=”” keyword=”smart clothing” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
- Transforming Textiles AB Launches Sense-Tex: A Smart, Sustainable Textile Technology
Transforming Textiles AB, led by innovator Sara Rosberg, announces the launch of Sense-Tex, a pioneering fabric and yarn technology that harmonizes fashion, advanced functionality, and sustainability.
- How To Dress For Cold Weather: Smart Tips From An Outdoor Expert
Our outdoor gear writer breaks down exactly how to layer for cold weather. Here's everything you need to know to stay warm.
- E-textiles journey from heated clothing to monitoring astronauts
From blankets to towels to clothing to upholstery, humans are in contact with textiles for almost all their lives. Textiles, used for warmth, comfort, and aesthetics, can be combined with electronics ...
- I Only Buy Clothes Online, and These Are the 66 Cyber Monday Clothing Deals I Have My Eye On
As a shopping writer, I only buy clothes online, and I’ve gathered the best Cyber Monday clothing deals. Shop discounts of up to 80 percent on coats, dresses, loungewear, shoes, and jeans. Reformation ...
- 9 Smart Ways to Get Wrinkles Out of Clothes Without an Iron
You can reduce wrinkles easily by ironing clothes. A handheld or floor-model clothes steamer is a must-have if you don't like to iron clothes. Place the garment on a hanger and hang it from a clothes ...
via Google News and Bing News