Fibers and fabrics for chemical and biological sensing

Wearable sensors can be used to monitor many interesting parameters about the wearer’s physiology and environment, with important applications in personal health and well-being, sports performance and personal safety. Wearable chemical sensors can monitor the status of the wearer by accessing body fluids, such as sweat, in an unobtrusive manner. They can also be used to protect the wearer from hazards in the environment by sampling potentially harmful gas emissions such as carbon monoxide. Integrating chemical sensors into textile structures is a challenging and complex task. Issues which must be considered include sample collection, calibration, waste handling, fouling and reliability. Sensors must also be durable and comfortable to wear. Here we present examples of wearable chemical sensors that monitor the person and also their environment. We also discuss the issues involved in developing wearable chemical sensors and strategies for sensor design and textile integration

Textile-based wearable sensors for assisting sports performance

There is a need for wearable sensors to assess physiological signals and body kinematics during exercise. Such sensors need to be straightforward to use, and ideally the complete system integrated fully within a garment. This would allow wearers to monitor their progress as they undergo an exercise training programme without the need to attach external devices. This takes physiological monitoring into a more natural setting. By developing textile sensors the intelligence is integrated into a sports garment in an innocuous manner. A number of textile based sensors are presented here that have been integrated into garments for various sports applications

A textile-based platform for real-time sweat collection and analysis

The ability to perform real-time chemical measurements of body fluids is an exciting concept for the healthcare sector and the sports industry. This work is part of the BIOTEX project, an EU FP6 project which involved the development of textile-based sensors to measure the chemical composition of sweat. This is a challenging task involving the collection of sweat samples, delivery to an active surface and the removal of waste products. A textile based platform which would be in immediate contact with the skin was developed for this purpose. The system uses capillary action and exhibits a passive pumping mechanism. This is achieved by using a combination of moisture wicking fabric and a highly absorbent material. A fabric channel is created for the integration of sensors. The channel is produced using a mask and screen-printing hydrophobic material onto the fabric. Different channel lengths and widths affect the flow rate of the system. The channel dimensions were designed based on typical sweat rates and also to accommodate sensor placement. A textile patch was developed and integrated into a waistband for collection of sweat on the lower back. Real-time measurements of sweat pH, sodium concentration, conductivity and temperature were measured during exercise using the textile patch

MIND OVER LUXURY: UNRAVELLING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TRIGGERS BEHIND MALAYSIA'S KLANG VALLEY AFFINITY FOR OPULENCE

Luxury goods and services saw robust growth globally, even during the COVID-19 pandemic when major luxury companies reported resilient revenues. Luxury consumption is no longer confined to the elite, as growing affluence in developing countries creates better affordability and aspirational purchases of luxury goods and services. Published literature has shown that psychological factors play a part in driving luxury consumption. However, more research needs to be done in Malaysia. This study aims to comprehend the psychological factors that drive the consumption of luxury goods among consumers in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The relationships between the consumption of luxury goods and three psychological factors, namely motivation, perception, and learning, were examined. Employing the convenience sampling technique, the research questionnaires were distributed using Google Forms. A total of 384 respondents took part in this quantitative study. Correlation and regression analysis were used to assess the responses based on the data gathered. Based on the findings, motivation, and learning were the influencing factors in luxury goods consumption. The study reveals that Malaysian consumers purchase luxury products for satisfaction rather than social acceptance or symbolic meaning. Marketers should focus on individual self-image, hedonism, and brand-building to segment customers and position luxury goods effectively. As Malaysia's affluence increases, marketers must understand and exploit the psychological factors driving luxury purchases.  Article visualizations

Bio-sensing textile based patch with integrated optical detection system for sweat monitoring

Sensors, which can be integrated into clothing and used to measure biochemical changes in body fluids, such as sweat, constitute a major advancement in the area of wearable sensors. Initial applications for such technology exist in personal health and sports performance monitoring. However, sample collection is a complicated matter as analysis must be done in real-time in order to obtain a useful examination of its composition. This work outlines the development of a textile-based fluid handling platform which uses a passive pump to gather sweat and move it through a pre-defined channel for analysis. The system is tested both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, a pH sensor, which depends on the use of a pH sensitive dye and paired emitter-detector LEDs to measure colour changes, has been developed. In vitro and on-body trials have shown that the sensor has the potential to record real-time variations in sweat during exercise

MApping the Most Massive Overdensities Through Hydrogen (MAMMOTH) I: Methodology

Modern cosmology predicts that a galaxy overdensity is associated to a large reservoir of the intergalactic gas, which can be traced by the Ly$\alpha$ forest absorption. We have undertaken a systematic study of the relation between Coherently Strong intergalactic Ly$\alpha$ Absorption systems (CoSLAs), which have highest optical depth ($\tau$) in $\tau$ distribution, and mass overdensities on the scales of $\sim$ 10 - 20 $h^{-1}$ comoving Mpc. On such large scales, our cosmological simulations show a strong correlation between the effective optical depth ($\tau_{\rm{eff}}$) of the CoSLAs and the 3-D mass overdensities. In moderate signal-to-noise spectra, however, the profiles of CoSLAs can be confused with high column density absorbers. For $z>2.6$, where the corresponding Ly$\beta$ is redshifted to the optical, we have developed the technique to differentiate between these two alternatives. We have applied this technique to SDSS-III quasar survey at $z = 2.6$ - 3.3, and we present a sample of five CoSLA candidates with $\tau_{\rm{eff}}$ on 15 $h^{-1}$ Mpc greater than $4.5\times$ the mean optical depth. At lower redshifts of $z < 2.6$, where the background quasar density is higher, the overdensity can be traced by intergalactic absorption groups using multiple sight lines. Our overdensity searches fully utilize the current and next generation of Ly$\alpha$ forest surveys which cover a survey volume of $> (1\ h^{-1}$ Gpc)$^3$. In addition, systems traced by CoSLAs will build a uniform sample of the most massive overdensities at $z > 2$ to constrain the models of structure formation, and offer a unique laboratory to study the interactions between galaxy overdensities and the intergalactic medium.Comment: 24 pages, 30 figures, 8 tables, submitted to the Astrophysical Journa

Textile sensors to measure sweat pH and sweat-rate during exercise

Sweat analysis can provide a valuable insight into a person’s well-being. Here we present wearable textile-based sensors that can provide real-time information regarding sweat activity. A pH sensitive dye incorporated into a fabric fluidic system is used to determine sweat pH. To detect the onset of sweat activity a sweat rate sensor is incorporated into a textile substrate. The sensors are integrated into a waistband and controlled by a central unit with wireless connectivity. The use of such sensors for sweat analysis may provide valuable physiological information for applications in sports performance and also in healthcare

Wearable technology for bio-chemical analysis of body fluids during exercise

This paper details the development of a textile based fluid handling system with integrated wireless biochemical sensors. Such research represents a new advancement in the area of wearable technologies. The system contains pH, sodium and conductivity sensors. It has been demonstrated during on-body trials that the pH sensor has close agreement with measurements obtained using a reference pH probe. Initial investigations into the sodium and conductivity sensors have shown their suitability for integration into the wearable system. It is thought that applications exist in personal health and sports performance and training

Fibers and Fabrics for Chemical and Biological Sensing

This paper is closed access.Wearable sensors can be used to monitor many interesting parameters about the wearer’s physiology and environment, with important applications in personal health and well-being, sports performance and personal safety. Wearable chemical sensors can monitor the status of the wearer by accessing body fluids, such as sweat, in an unobtrusive manner. They can also be used to protect the wearer from hazards in the environment by sampling potentially harmful gas emissions, such as carbon monoxide. Integrating chemical sensors into textile structures is a challenging and complex task. Issues which must be considered include sample collection, calibration, waste handling, fouling and reliability. Sensors must also be durable and comfortable to wear. Here, we present examples of wearable chemical sensors that monitor the person and also his/her environment. We also discuss the issues involved in developing wearable chemical sensors and strategies for sensor design and textile integration

BIOTEX-biosensing textiles for personalised healthcare management.

Textile-based sensors offer an unobtrusive method of continually monitoring physiological parameters during daily activities. Chemical analysis of body fluids, noninvasively, is a novel and exciting area of personalized wearable healthcare systems. BIOTEX was an EU-funded project that aimed to develop textile sensors to measure physiological parameters and the chemical composition of body fluids, with a particular interest in sweat. A wearable sensing system has been developed that integrates a textile-based fluid handling system for sample collection and transport with a number of sensors including sodium, conductivity, and pH sensors. Sensors for sweat rate, ECG, respiration, and blood oxygenation were also developed. For the first time, it has been possible to monitor a number of physiological parameters together with sweat composition in real time. This has been carried out via a network of wearable sensors distributed around the body of a subject user. This has huge implications for the field of sports and human performance and opens a whole new field of research in the clinical setting