Physiological Sensing Textile Apparatus with Resistive Pressure Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smart textile technologies require tightly worn garments to accurately measure physiological signals like heart rate and respiration, which can be uncomfortable and prone to motion artifacts, and lack methods to sense continuous and dynamic pressure changes in loosely fitting clothing.
Innovation Solution
A textile-based garment system integrating resistive pressure sensors and triboelectric sensors with a signal processing pipeline that fuses signals from multiple locations to measure physiological parameters like heart rate, respiration, and posture in a loosely worn, comfortable manner, using conductive and dielectric textile layers to detect pressure and charge changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If tightly worn garments are used to measure physiological signals, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to discomfort and motion artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
The garment divides the sensing function into multiple independent sensor units distributed at different locations (chest, back, sleeves). Each sensor independently measures local physiological signals, and the system integrates these segmented measurements to achieve accurate overall monitoring without requiring tight fitting anywhere on the body.
Solution Approach 2:
The loose-fitting garment substrate serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, enables sensor placement at opportunistic contact points, and maintains wearer comfort. The same garment structure that ensures comfort also facilitates physiological monitoring by creating natural contact points during movement and posture changes.
2Measurement precision
If tightly worn garments are used to measure physiological signals, then measurement precision is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to motion artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts to the wearer's movement and posture changes. Sensors are placed to capture signals at opportunistic contact points that naturally occur during various activities. The garment and sensor system flexes and moves with the wearer rather than restricting motion, maintaining reliable contact without requiring tight fitting.
Solution Approach 2:
The loose-fitting garment acts as an intermediary between the wearer's body and the sensors. It creates controlled contact points that mediate the interaction between skin and sensors, allowing signal acquisition while accommodating natural body movements and reducing direct friction that causes motion artifacts.
3Adaptability or versatility
If resistive pressure sensors and triboelectric sensors are integrated into textile layers, then sensing capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines resistive pressure sensors and triboelectric sensors into a unified textile-based sensing system. Both sensor types are integrated into the same garment substrate at complementary locations, allowing the system to leverage multiple sensing mechanisms simultaneously while maintaining a single cohesive garment structure rather than separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensors are fabricated using textile-based materials and structures that match the homogeneity of the garment substrate. Conductive threads, fabric-based resistive elements, and textile-integrated triboelectric layers create a uniform sensing system that appears and feels like regular clothing, masking the underlying complexity of multiple sensor types.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate and comfortable monitoring of physiological signals across diverse postures and movements without the need for tight fitting, leveraging opportunistic contact points in loose-fitting clothing, improving comfort and reducing motion artifact issues.
Implementation Method 1
a textile-based inner layer having an electrical resistance of at least 1 mega-ohm sandwiched between the pair of first textile-based outer layers each having an electrical resistance of no more than 100 ohms
Implementation Method 2
a textile-based triboelectric core comprising a first textile-based dielectric layer and a second textile-based dielectric layer. In an example, the first textile-based dielectric layer comprises a first textile-based dielectric material that forms a positively-charged triboelectric surface and the second textile-based dielectric layer comprises a second textile-based dielectric material that forms a negatively-charged triboelectric surface
Data Source
AI summary
A garment system comprises a garment substrate formed from one or more textile-based sheets, a distributed array of a plurality of resistive pressure sensors coupled to the garment substrate at a set of first specified locations. Each of the plurality of resistive sensors comprises a pair of first textile-based outer layers each having an electrical resistance of no more than 100 ohms and a textile-based inner layer sandwiched between the pair of first textile-based outer layers having an electrical resistance of at least 1 mega-ohm. The system also includes electronics configured to process signals from the distributed array of resistive pressure sensors to determine one or more physiological properties of a wearer of the garment substrate.