Bluetooth Low Energy‐Based Washable Wearable Activity Motion and Electrocardiogram Textronic Monitoring and Communicating System

Abstract

The miniaturized, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) encapsulated, reliable, and fully washable system composed of three textile stretchable electrodes and connected electronic module is designed, realized, and integrated to a sportswear. The electronic module is specifically developed and made on a flexible print circuit board in order to facilitate its integration. The software developed enables the recording of the electrocardiogram (ECG) high quality signs together with the skin temperature, the breathing rate, and acceleration outputs that are used for an activity monitoring. The electronic module transmits all the data to a smart phone via low energy Bluetooth. The specific dedicated application displays the ECG signal, the respiration rate, and the activity performed in a real time. This information is sent to a cloud. The system is tested in real conditions of utilization and washed following standards to test its reliability and verify its readiness for the market. The system is a next step in the instrumentation of clothing, comparing to existing heart rate monitoring modules, having a capacity to monitor the activities in real time and being fully washable without mechanical disconnecting of the electronic module as it is a case for almost all existing monitoring devices.

Wearable Sensing and Telehealth Technology with Potential Applications in the Coronavirus Pandemic

“…Such e-textile systems tends to be washable, flexible, stretchable, and thin. As an exemplar, an e-textile based stretchable electrodes connected with an electronic module that was made on a flexible print circuit were developed and integrated to a sportswear [83]. To overcome the shortcoming of having single lead ECG for most of the patch and garment based ECG monitors, Hsu et al devised a 12-lead noncontact ECG system that was attached to a vest and the locations of the electrodes can be adjusted [84].…”

ECG Monitoring Systems: Review, Architecture, Processes, and Key Challenges

“…(Smart Jacket [149,150]), (IoT [17]) Episodic (alarm-based [32]) Traditional Ad hoc (ECG Check [146]), (lab-designed single-lead [112]), (analog heart rate sensor [31]), (three-lead wet electrodes [152]) Continuous (single lead EMP and 12-leads 24-h Holter [125]), (Smart Shirt [5]), (T-shirts/bed sheets with electrodes [154]), (single-lead wireless [6]), (wearable, washable, [155,156]),…”

“…Recent advancements in wireless ECG monitoring systems have produced a wide variety of real-time monitoring systems, ranging from wearable textile-based monitoring systems, such as smart shirts [5] and textile electrodes [154][155][156], to contactless [157] ECG monitoring systems. In real-time setups, patients can measure ECG signals while doing normal real-life activities [161].…”

A tailored, electronic textile conformable suit for large-scale spatiotemporal physiological sensing in vivo

“…Through this work, we have developed a technique of combining thin, customizable conformable electronic devices, including interconnect lines and off-the-shelf integrated circuits, with plastic substrates that can be woven into knitted textile using an accessible and high-throughput manufacturing approach. Similar to a compression garment, the nature of this stretchable knitted textile will allow intimate contact between electronics and the skin 36 . Our technique creates a platform to integrate a large assortment of conformable electronic components in a suit for large-scale physiological and physical activity sensing on the body.…”