Decontamination of Wearable Textile Electrodes for Medical and Health Care Applications

In the medical and health care environment ‘intelligent’ clothing must endure all the same treatments and procedures as standard hospital textile; that is laundry, disinfection and sterilization. The decontamination level depends on the end-use of the product. The smart garment system for long term body monitoring must be like any other technical underwear; fit well, be comfortable, elastic, vapor permeable, and have easy-care properties capable of enduring multiple cycles of laundry washing. Thus the use of man-made fibers, instead of traditionally used natural fibers, in a body monitoring garment would be more reasonable.The research focuses on disinfected and sterilized textile electrodes which are applicable for long term body monitoring. As high elasticity, comfort and good vapor permeability are needed, the research concentrates on the electrical and mechanical properties of knitted sensors after sterilization, disinfection and water-repellent treatment. The most important mechanical features of elastic textile electrodes are elongation recovery and dimensional stability. Before sterilization the textile must be cleaned properly from body fluids like blood and sweat. Improving the easy-clean properties would consequently be desirable. By improving the stain repellent or easy cleaning properties, the need for washing can be decreased and a more protective, lower temperature program during laundry washing can be used. These factors not only save energy but also lengthen the lifetime of textile electronics.The textile surface electric resistance, abrasion resistance, dimensional change and elastic properties following decontamination processes were studied, including the evaluation of water repellent-treated electrode properties. In addition, the mechanical properties of conventional knits and elastic woven bands were observed after treatment in order to assess their use in smart wearable systems.In addition to electrodes, the research results can be applied to many other textile electronics components such as conductors, antennae, heat elements, switchers and detectors, because all these components can be achieved with same elements; conventional textile fibers combined with conductive fibers or coatings. The obvious application areas for body monitoring by using textile electrodes are hospitals, health care centers and medical research centers. The textile electrodes are more comfortable and invisible for long time body monitoring which is needed, for example, in rehabilitation after surgery or detection of chronic diseases, where they are more effective than conventional gel (Ag / AgCl) electrodes.In conclusion it can be stated that silver-plated PA fiber in a knitted or woven structure with added repellent treatment provides a highly conductive and durable solution for wearable electronics in medical and health care applications. The steel fiber and textile mixture cannot tolerate mechanical stress caused by disinfection, washing, or repellent treatment. The knitted textile with silver coating cannot tolerate sterilization, either electrically or mechanically. Based on the results of the study, the use of woven bands as an electrode would be recommended instead of knitted material because they are dimensionally more stable. The electrode dimensional changes might negatively affect the measurement quality. On the other hand, the knitted electrodes have additional useful properties like softness and flexibility, thus compromises must be made in using textile electrodes in wearable technology. All materials in the study, woven and knitted, elastic and inelastic, coated and non –coated showed clear shrinkage in the sterilization process. However, using only one heat treatment makes them much more stable. For this reason it can be assumed that man-made fibers are more useful for medical products as they are more resistant to being sterilized or disinfected than are natural fibers. The elastane fiber can be used for improving bi-directional textile material recovery, but the unrecovered elongation as a function of sterilization must be considered. The variation in unrecovered elongation (stretching) might be extremely high and success depends on raw materials and textile structures

Developing Disposable EEG Cap for Infant Recordings at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Long-term EEG monitoring in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) is challenged with finding solutions for setting up and maintaining a sufficient recording quality with limited technical experience. The current study evaluates different solutions for the skin–electrode interface and develops a disposable EEG cap for newborn infants. Several alternative materials for the skin–electrode interface were compared to the conventional gel and paste: conductive textiles (textured and woven), conductive Velcro, sponge, super absorbent hydrogel (SAH), and hydro fiber sheets (HF). The comparisons included the assessment of dehydration and recordings of signal quality (skin interphase impedance and powerline (50 Hz) noise) for selected materials. The test recordings were performed using snap electrodes integrated into a forearm sleeve or a forehead band along with skin–electrode interfaces to mimic an EEG cap with the aim of long-term biosignal recording on unprepared skin. In the hydration test, conductive textiles and Velcro performed poorly. While the SAH and HF remained sufficiently hydrated for over 24 h in an incubator-mimicking environment, the sponge material was dehydrated during the first 12 h. Additionally, the SAH was found to have a fragile structure and was electrically prone to artifacts after 12 h. In the electrical impedance and recording comparisons of muscle activity, the results for thick-layer HF were comparable to the conventional gel on unprepared skin. Moreover, the mechanical instability measured by 1–2 Hz and 1–20 Hz normalized relative power spectrum density was comparable with clinical EEG recordings using subdermal electrodes. The results together suggest that thick-layer HF at the skin–electrode interface is an effective candidate for a preparation-free, long-term recording, with many advantages, such as long-lasting recording quality, easy use, and compatibility with sensitive infant skin contact. Keywords: aEEG; NICU; SAH; HFPeer reviewe

Developing Disposable EEG Cap for Infant Recordings at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Long-term EEG monitoring in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) is challenged with finding solutions for setting up and maintaining a sufficient recording quality with limited technical experience. The current study evaluates different solutions for the skin–electrode interface and develops a disposable EEG cap for newborn infants. Several alternative materials for the skin–electrode interface were compared to the conventional gel and paste: conductive textiles (textured and woven), conductive Velcro, sponge, super absorbent hydrogel (SAH), and hydro fiber sheets (HF). The comparisons included the assessment of dehydration and recordings of signal quality (skin interphase impedance and powerline (50 Hz) noise) for selected materials. The test recordings were performed using snap electrodes integrated into a forearm sleeve or a forehead band along with skin–electrode interfaces to mimic an EEG cap with the aim of long-term biosignal recording on unprepared skin. In the hydration test, conductive textiles and Velcro performed poorly. While the SAH and HF remained sufficiently hydrated for over 24 h in an incubator-mimicking environment, the sponge material was dehydrated during the first 12 h. Additionally, the SAH was found to have a fragile structure and was electrically prone to artifacts after 12 h. In the electrical impedance and recording comparisons of muscle activity, the results for thick-layer HF were comparable to the conventional gel on unprepared skin. Moreover, the mechanical instability measured by 1–2 Hz and 1–20 Hz normalized relative power spectrum density was comparable with clinical EEG recordings using subdermal electrodes. The results together suggest that thick-layer HF at the skin–electrode interface is an effective candidate for a preparation-free, long-term recording, with many advantages, such as long-lasting recording quality, easy use, and compatibility with sensitive infant skin contact. Keywords: aEEG; NICU; SAH; HFPeer reviewe

Intelligent wearable allows out-of-the-lab tracking of developing motor abilities in infants

Peer reviewe

Vauvan älyvaatteet : hypeä ja lupausta paremmasta terveydenhoidosta

Vertaisarvioitu.Puettavan teknologian ratkaisut ovat levinneet nopeasti kuluttajamarkkinoilla seuraten lähes jokaisen aikuisen elämää älypuhelimissa tai rannelaitteissa kulkevilla antureilla. Pilvipalveluissa olevat tekoälypohjaiset algoritmit antavat yhä useammin arkielämän kannalta merkityksellisiä tuloksia. Nämä älykkään tuntuiset vaatteet ja muut puettavat laitteet ovat toistaiseksi lähinnä hyvinvointiteknologian tarpeisiin tehtyjä kuluttajatuotteita. Viime vuosina on lisääntynyt nopeasti niiden jatkokehitys myös lääketieteelliseen käyttöön. Pullonkaulaksi muodostuu se, että lääketieteellisen laitteen vaatimukset eroavat huomattavasti kuluttajatuotteista. Uudet avoimeen rajapintaan kehitetyt sensori- ja ohjelmistoratkaisut ovat mahdollistaneet älyvaatekehityksen myös akateemisena tutkimus- ja kehitystyönä. Lähivuosina nähdään todennäköisesti useita kliiniseen käyttöön lapsille suunnattuja lääketieteellisiä älyvaatteita. Pitkäaikainenkin diagnosointi ja hoidon seuranta on niiden avulla mahdollista lapsen luonnollisessa elinympäristössä.Peer reviewe

Automatic Posture and Movement Tracking of Infants with Wearable Movement Sensors

Infants' spontaneous and voluntary movements mirror developmental integrity of brain networks since they require coordinated activation of multiple sites in the central nervous system. Accordingly, early detection of infants with atypical motor development holds promise for recognizing those infants who are at risk for a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders). Previously, novel wearable technology has shown promise for offering efficient, scalable and automated methods for movement assessment in adults. Here, we describe the development of an infant wearable, a multi-sensor smart jumpsuit that allows mobile accelerometer and gyroscope data collection during movements. Using this suit, we first recorded play sessions of 22 typically developing infants of approximately 7 months of age. These data were manually annotated for infant posture and movement based on video recordings of the sessions, and using a novel annotation scheme specifically designed to assess the overall movement pattern of infants in the given age group. A machine learning algorithm, based on deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) was then trained for automatic detection of posture and movement classes using the data and annotations. Our experiments show that the setup can be used for quantitative tracking of infant movement activities with a human equivalent accuracy, i.e., it meets the human inter-rater agreement levels in infant posture and movement classification. We also quantify the ambiguity of human observers in analyzing infant movements, and propose a method for utilizing this uncertainty for performance improvements in training of the automated classifier. Comparison of different sensor configurations also shows that four-limb recording leads to the best performance in posture and movement classification.Peer reviewe

Trash-2-Cash Project: Third Milestone Report D9.4

Trash-2-Cash is an EU funded project under the Horizon 2020 research programme. The project started in June 2015 and will be running until the end of November 2018. It applies Design-Driven Material Innovation (DDMI) as a tool for development routes within design, materials research and manufacturing of new materials, services and products. The overall objective of the Trash-2-Cash project is to develop new materials and products via creative design from waste materials and industrial side-products or by-products from the textile and paper industries and to promote development within the creative sector by providing technology solutions for exploitation of waste streams and design for recycling. 18 partners from 10 countries formed a cross-disciplinary team of designers, material researchers, and manufacturers in combination with specialists on behavioural research and cost and environmental assessments. Having all these specialists on board means that waste materials can be used to create new fibres that can be spun and woven, knitted or formed, into high performance textiles and composites, which can then be made into innovative new products. The full chain is represented within the project. The design team drives the material innovation in close collaboration with the material R&D and manufacturer teams. The project flow has three iterative phases called “Cycles” that repeat specific steps. The end/beginning of each Cycle corresponds with a milestone, the delivery of prototypes. The prototypes were finalized during the third and final Cycle of the project, the refinement Cycle into full product prototypes or Master Cases. These Master Cases are now ready and have been displayed for a broader audience during the Dutch Design Week in October 2018

Decontamination of Wearable Textile Electrodes for Medical and Health Care Applications

In the medical and health care environment ‘intelligent’ clothing must endure all the same treatments and procedures as standard hospital textile; that is laundry, disinfection and sterilization. The decontamination level depends on the end-use of the product. The smart garment system for long term body monitoring must be like any other technical underwear; fit well, be comfortable, elastic, vapor permeable, and have easy-care properties capable of enduring multiple cycles of laundry washing. Thus the use of man-made fibers, instead of traditionally used natural fibers, in a body monitoring garment would be more reasonable.The research focuses on disinfected and sterilized textile electrodes which are applicable for long term body monitoring. As high elasticity, comfort and good vapor permeability are needed, the research concentrates on the electrical and mechanical properties of knitted sensors after sterilization, disinfection and water-repellent treatment. The most important mechanical features of elastic textile electrodes are elongation recovery and dimensional stability. Before sterilization the textile must be cleaned properly from body fluids like blood and sweat. Improving the easy-clean properties would consequently be desirable. By improving the stain repellent or easy cleaning properties, the need for washing can be decreased and a more protective, lower temperature program during laundry washing can be used. These factors not only save energy but also lengthen the lifetime of textile electronics.The textile surface electric resistance, abrasion resistance, dimensional change and elastic properties following decontamination processes were studied, including the evaluation of water repellent-treated electrode properties. In addition, the mechanical properties of conventional knits and elastic woven bands were observed after treatment in order to assess their use in smart wearable systems.In addition to electrodes, the research results can be applied to many other textile electronics components such as conductors, antennae, heat elements, switchers and detectors, because all these components can be achieved with same elements; conventional textile fibers combined with conductive fibers or coatings. The obvious application areas for body monitoring by using textile electrodes are hospitals, health care centers and medical research centers. The textile electrodes are more comfortable and invisible for long time body monitoring which is needed, for example, in rehabilitation after surgery or detection of chronic diseases, where they are more effective than conventional gel (Ag / AgCl) electrodes.In conclusion it can be stated that silver-plated PA fiber in a knitted or woven structure with added repellent treatment provides a highly conductive and durable solution for wearable electronics in medical and health care applications. The steel fiber and textile mixture cannot tolerate mechanical stress caused by disinfection, washing, or repellent treatment. The knitted textile with silver coating cannot tolerate sterilization, either electrically or mechanically. Based on the results of the study, the use of woven bands as an electrode would be recommended instead of knitted material because they are dimensionally more stable. The electrode dimensional changes might negatively affect the measurement quality. On the other hand, the knitted electrodes have additional useful properties like softness and flexibility, thus compromises must be made in using textile electrodes in wearable technology. All materials in the study, woven and knitted, elastic and inelastic, coated and non –coated showed clear shrinkage in the sterilization process. However, using only one heat treatment makes them much more stable. For this reason it can be assumed that man-made fibers are more useful for medical products as they are more resistant to being sterilized or disinfected than are natural fibers. The elastane fiber can be used for improving bi-directional textile material recovery, but the unrecovered elongation as a function of sterilization must be considered. The variation in unrecovered elongation (stretching) might be extremely high and success depends on raw materials and textile structures

Review of the end-of-life solutions in electronics-based smart textiles

Research and development of new products in the smart textile field is growing rapidly because of versatile application areas. There is an extensive focus on the integration of electronics into textiles. However, when different industry fields are merged, as here, the sustainability and recycling issues might descend into even more complex systems. The paper reviews current research and development conducted on the end-of-life solutions for textile integrated electronics. Chosen papers had to be peer-reviewed, written in English, and address the end-of-life issue of electronic-based smart textiles. The search resulted in 18 publications, which indicates a low amount of research but also the serious lack of legislation and actual solutions emerged in this multidisciplinary field. Three tracks were found: smart textile services, eco-design strategy and educating guidelines. Authors suggest concentrating on preventive actions in textile-electronics design and manufacturing processes and the generating standardization for waste management of e-textiles.Peer reviewe

Empathy in a Technology Driven Design Process: Designing for Users without a Voice of their Own

Smart textiles are often developed in sports- oriented contexts through technology-driven processes. In the medical context, practitioners themselves also invent and develop technological aids in response to needs that emerge in practice. In these cases, novel technology may be the first driver for design to secure functionality and reliability, but our study shows that these processes benefit from human-centric and empathic design approaches. The project develops smart textiles for infants with medical adversities, such as preterm birth, neonatal infections, or birth asphyxia, collaboratively with medical researchers. Our pilot research illuminates the need to use the interest group’s empathic understanding as a starting point for design, as the user of the garments does not yet have a voice of their own. In this paper, we develop the argument for empathic design in a technology-driven design process in the medical context.Peer reviewe