Smart Textile Sensor System for Health Monitoring

Procedures involving people:

The sensors- electrodes, conductor channels and semi-conductor channels- are in direct contact (with the body) or indirect contact through a transient layer of polyimide or silicon rubber. The amplifiers will boost the microvolt signals into the range where they can be accurately digitized using analog to digital converter. Subsequently, a wireless data communication system will transmit and receive the digitized data and a personal computer (or other relevant device) will store and display the recorded data. The sensors used for measurement for bioimpedance will pass a modulated current of 1-5 mA (rms) at 30kHz to 100kHz through the skin into subject body. This system will be powered by a 3.7 V battery source. The sensor system(s) will draw power through this system. The sensor systems that will be used for this study are:

1. Reusable flat gold and nanowire (gold or platinum or titanium) electrodes for ECG, ICG, TTI, EEG, EOG, EMG measurement..
2. Reusable Nanotextured textile coated with a thin film of metal (gold or silver or platinum or titanium) electrodes for ECG, ICG, TTI, EEG, EOG, EMG measurement.
3. Reusable Heart sound sensor, amplifier circuitry, for heart sound measurement.
4. Reusable sensor, temperature dependent resistor circuitry, for body temperature measurement.
5. Reusable sensor, strain dependent resistor circuitry, for measurement of respiration effort.
6. Reusable sensor, piezoelectric circuitry, for blood pressure measurement.
7. Reusable acceleration and rotation detection sensor with respect to x,y,z axis. sensor, amplifier circuitry, for measurement of activity (actigraphy) of the subjects.
8. Reusable optoelectronic sensor, amplifier circuitry, for blood oxygen level measurement.
9. Reusable sensor, piezoelectric and optoelectronic circuitry, for pulse rate measurement.
10. A wearable wireless system: compact embedded systems and a portable battery, enclosed in a sturdy ebonite box.

The sensors will be fabricated on polyimide (KAPTON®) and polyester films, and textile fabric and will require to be mounted on subject's skin. This will be accomplished by using standard surgical waterproof tape or braces made form materials like polyester, nylon, silicone rubber sheetand textile fabric. At all times this polyimide or polyester material will be the only component in contact with test subject's skin. The sensor recordings will be taken from the test subjects in different physical states: supine position, sitting and relaxed, standing up and/or walking briskly, engaging in moderately rigorous exercise (not cardiovascular exercise).

1 Device specific protocols: 1.1 ECG measurements with Dry Electrodes: