Validation of smart textile electrodes for electrocardiogram monitoring in free-moving horses

Guidi, Andrea; Lanatà, Antonio; Valenza, Gaetano; Scilingo, Enzo Pasquale; Baragli, Paolo

doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2016.10.001

Cited by 17 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The textile electrodes are a practical solution for recording ECG traces during and with the textile electrodes, the kSQI was near to the ideal value of 1 and k‐values were near to the ideal value of 5. An increase in the quality of the ECG traces obtained through textile electrodes has already been shown in horses at rest 7 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…The electrodes are located automatically 6 without using adhesive electrodes, glue or bandages. The textile electrodes also helped the electrochemical balance, 7 thus also facilitating the continuous collection of ECG signals. The multilayer structure of the smart textile has been designed to increase the amount of sweat and reduce the rate of evaporation, thus quickly reaching an electrochemical equilibrium between the skin and electrodes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The improved quality of the traces means that more advanced analysis techniques are made possible 5,7 and ECG traces can be more accurately assessed during exercise. This may be crucial in the diagnosis of rhythm disorders and for estimating heart rate variability 16,17 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is helped by sweating and the reduction in evaporation on the body surface. The signal recording is more constant, and the quality is therefore notably improved 7,8 . Smart textiles have been proposed for monitoring physiological parameters in horses, 9 and have already been validated in standing horses 7 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Smart textiles biotechnology for electrocardiogram monitoring in horses during exercise on treadmill: Validation tests

Felici

Nardelli

Lanatà

et al. 2020

Equine Veterinary Journal

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Background There are several bioengineering solutions aimed at improving human health and welfare. Smart electrodes based on textile substrates have met the growing demand for comfort, reliability, and robustness when acquiring physiological signals. Objectives Given the importance of good quality electrocardiograms (ECG) in equine sports medicine, this study focuses on the validation of smart textile electrodes to acquire ECG signals in horses during treadmill exercise. Study design The performance of the smart textile electrodes is compared with standard silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) electrodes in terms of signal quality. Methods Five healthy Standardbred mares were fitted with two identical electronic systems for the simultaneous recording of ECGs during a standardised exercise test (SET) on a treadmill. One system was equipped with smart textile electrodes, whereas the second was equipped with standard Ag/AgCl electrodes. The Ag/AgCl electrodes were positioned on shaved skin with self‐adhesive pads, and without (SET1) or with glue (SET2). The textile electrodes were positioned without shaving the skin. The Kurtosis (k) value for each ECG trace recorded was calculated as an index of ECG signal quality. Results For the textile electrodes, k values were higher, and closer to ideal compared to Ag/AgCl electrodes. The median values of the Signal Quality Indexes (kSQI) were higher for textile compared to Ag/AgCl electrodes. These differences were significant in SET 2 (P < .001), but not in SET 1 (P = .08). Main limitations This study was limited to treadmill exercise that did not include a rider or harness. Conclusions During treadmill exercise, textile electrodes are a practical solution for collecting good quality ECG traces.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Smart textiles biotechnology for electrocardiogram monitoring in horses during exercise on treadmill: Validation tests

Felici

Nardelli

Lanatà

et al. 2020

Equine Veterinary Journal

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“…Moreover, the systems developed by the University of Pisa for both humans and animals guaranteed a suitable solution for ANS monitoring without interfering with the hidden and unconscious emotional responses arising from the human-horse interaction. The belt used for horses was specifically designed to not be more intrusive than a saddle or any similar riding equipment, and the functionality of the belt has been previously validated (35,36). Particularly, the two textile-based monitoring systems (37) recorded ECGs on a sampling frequency equal to 250 Hz.…”

Section: Ecg Signal Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inside the Interaction: Contact With Familiar Humans Modulates Heart Rate Variability in Horses

et al. 2020

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A human–animal relationship can be developed through subsequent interactions, affected by the positive or negative emotional valence of the proceeding one. Horses implement a process of categorization to classify humans with whom they interact as positive, negative, or neutral stimuli by evaluating the kind of approach and the nature of the contact. In these terms, human–animal interactions are emotionally charged events, eliciting specific emotional states in both subjects involved. Although the human–horse relationship has been mainly investigated through behavioral analysis, physiological indicators are needed for a more objective assessment of the emotional responses. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a commonly used autonomic nervous system (ANS) correlate estimating the sympathovagal balance as a psychophysiological marker of emotion regulation in horses. We have assumed that long-term positive relationships with humans may have a positive and immediate impact on the emotional arousal of the horse, detectable, via ANS activity, during the interaction. We analyzed horses' heartbeat dynamics during their interaction with either familiar or unfamiliar handlers, applying a standardized experimental protocol consisting of three different conditions shifting from the absence of interaction to physical contact. The ANS signals were monitored through an innovative non-invasive wearable system, not interfering with the unconscious emotional response of the animal. We demonstrated that horses appeared to feel more relaxed while physically interacting (e.g., grooming on the right side) with some familiar handlers compared to the same task performed by someone unfamiliar. The shift of the sympathovagal balance toward a vagal predominance suggests that the horses experienced a decrease in stress response as a function not only of the handler's familiarity but also of the type of interaction they are experiencing. These results constitute the objective evidence of horses' capacity to individually recognize a familiar person, adding the crucial role of familiarity with the handler as a paramount component of human–animal interaction. Our rigorous methodological approach may provide a significant contribution to various fields such as animal welfare while further investigating the emotional side of the human–animal relationships.

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A Programmable Dual‐Regime Spray for Large‐Scale and Custom‐Designed Electronic Textiles

et al. 2022

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Increasing demand for wearable healthcare synergistically advances the field of electronic textiles, or e‐textiles, allowing for ambulatory monitoring of vital health signals. Despite great promise, the pragmatic deployment of e‐textiles in clinical practice remains challenged due to the lack of a method in producing custom‐designed e‐textiles at high spatial resolution across a large area. To this end, a programmable dual‐regime spray that enables the direct custom writing of functional nanoparticles into arbitrary fabrics at sub‐millimeter resolution over meter scale is employed. The resulting e‐textiles retain the intrinsic fabric properties in terms of mechanical flexibility, water‐vapor permeability, and comfort against multiple uses and laundry cycles. The e‐textiles tightly fit various body sizes and shapes to support the high‐fidelity recording of physiological and electrophysiological signals on the skin under ambulatory conditions. Pilot field tests in a remote health‐monitoring setting with a large animal, such as a horse, demonstrate the scalability and utility of the e‐textiles beyond conventional devices. This approach will be suitable for the rapid prototyping of custom e‐textiles tailored to meet various clinical needs.

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Validation of smart textile electrodes for electrocardiogram monitoring in free-moving horses

Cited by 17 publications

References 18 publications

Smart textiles biotechnology for electrocardiogram monitoring in horses during exercise on treadmill: Validation tests

Smart textiles biotechnology for electrocardiogram monitoring in horses during exercise on treadmill: Validation tests

Inside the Interaction: Contact With Familiar Humans Modulates Heart Rate Variability in Horses

A Programmable Dual‐Regime Spray for Large‐Scale and Custom‐Designed Electronic Textiles

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