Design and Evaluation of Novel Textile Wearable Systems for the Surveillance of Vital Signals.
This article addresses the design, development, and evaluation of T-shirt prototypes that embed novel textile sensors for the capture of cardio and respiratory signals. The sensors are connected through textile interconnects to either an embedded custom-designed data acquisition and transmission unit or to snap fastener terminals for connection to external monitoring devices. The performance of the T-shirt prototype is evaluated in terms of signal-to-noise ratio amplitude and signal interference caused by baseline wander and motion artefacts, through laboratory tests with subjects in standing and walking conditions. Performance tests were also conducted in a hospital environment using a T-shirt prototype connected to a commercial three-channel Holter monitoring device. The textile sensors and interconnects were realized with the assistance of an industrial six-needle digital embroidery tool and their resistance to wear addressed with normalized tests of laundering and abrasion. The performance of these wearable systems is discussed, and pathways and methods for their optimization are highlighted.
IBEB-FCUL, College of Sciences of University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal. itrindade@ubi.pt.|FibEnTech Unit, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal. itrindade@ubi.pt.
Isabel G
IG
Trindade
INESC TEC, Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal. jms@fe.up.pt.
José
J
Machado da Silva
FibEnTech Unit, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal. rmiguel@ubi.pt.
Rui
R
Miguel
FibEnTech Unit, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal. mmrp@ubi.pt.
Madalena
M
Pereira
FibEnTech Unit, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal. jlucas@ubi.pt.
José
J
Lucas
CHCB, Hospital Centre of Cova da Beira, 6200-251 Covilhã, Portugal. luisvoliveira@sapo.pt.
Luís
L
Oliveira
CHCB, Hospital Centre of Cova da Beira, 6200-251 Covilhã, Portugal. bruno.valentim81@gmail.com.
Bruno
B
Valentim
Playvest S.A., Rua das Austrálias, 2, 4705-322 Braga, Portugal. jorgebarreto@playvest.pt.
Jorge
J
Barreto
FibEnTech Unit, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal. mjssilva@ubi.pt.
Manuel
M
Santos Silva
D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D013784:Textiles; D055986:Vital Signs / Q000502:physiology*; D000076251:Wearable Electronic Devices
flexible electronics; mHealth; pHealth; textile wearable technologies
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