T-shirt could be used to diagnose respiratory illnesses or monitor people suffering from asthma, sleep apnea, or COPD

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

The Latest on: Smart clothing

Smart Fitness Market to See Booming Growth | Apple, Fitbit, Jawbone
on January 17, 2021 at 9:50 pm
Latest released the research study on Global Smart Fitness Market offers a detailed overview of the factors influencing the global business scope Smart Fitness Market research report shows the latest ...
London Designer Marielle Wyse Discusses Her Eponymous Clothing Brand
on January 17, 2021 at 2:13 pm
Marielle Wyse is on a mission to make happy clothes, and so, cue Wyse London that offers everything from cardigans with rainbow colorways to swishy sequin skirts, and cute scallop dungarees. This ...
‘I was street smart, but unfortunately the street was Rodeo Drive’: When famous people die
on January 17, 2021 at 1:20 pm
We think we know famous people. We believe that if we could just meet famous people, we would undoubtedly become friends. As fans, we are fiercely devoted and loyal. We buy their movies, records, ...
Best smart washing machines 2021: The technology changing the way we clean our clothes
on January 16, 2021 at 4:00 pm
Many of the washing machines available today have other smart features too, such as sensors to detect how dirty clothes are and adjust cycles accordingly and quick add functions so you can add ...
The best online shopping deals this weekend: Coach apparel, Best Buy smart TVs, L.L. Bean winter sale
on January 15, 2021 at 2:05 pm
With the new year here, many retailers are celebrating by offering winter deals and clearance sales to make way for new inventory. If you need your weekend shopping fix, we’ve got you covered. Some of ...