The future of remote healthcare could be woven into your clothes
|
Version 0 of 1. There are significant potential benefits to be had from monitoring patients’ conditions as they go about their daily lives. While smart watches have created a lot of buzz in the world of healthy living, they are currently unable to capture the type of information that could be really valuable for healthcare. However, new innovations involving integrating electronics directly into the fabric of clothing could be first step towards creating smart technology that could revolutionise remote healthcare; allowing more patients to live normal lives, reducing hospital administration and freeing up beds. The potential for wearable sensors Sensors placed on the right part of the body can provide detailed, real-time information. Patients can be continuously monitored away from the hospital and if there is a warning sign, for example high blood pressure or swelling, medical professionals can be alerted. The data collected can also offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of treatments. This information can be used to develop personalised recovery plans, which can be adapted during the process without the need for check-ups. Pharmaceutical companies could also use the data to better understand how their drugs perform outside the lab. Making sensors work for healthcare Sensors are already widely used in the healthcare industry. Mats on beds can detect bedsores, and fall sensors are commonly available. Clip-on sensors have been used in sport, but they must be visibly attached, so are unsuitable for everyday use, particularly when monitoring conditions patients may not want to draw attention to. We are yet to see sensors that can pick out minor physiological fluctuations, while integrating into everyday life. So the key components of wearables in healthcare must be accuracy and reliability, but they must also be able to discreetly integrate into the patient’s daily routine. This is why smart fabrics are so exciting; they can provide additional functionality to everyday clothing. Working electronics into clothing So far, smart fabric techniques have looked at weaving conductive wires into clothing to create circuits. There are limits to this, given these wires must be integrated into the design from the start, so they offer limited flexibility. One solution, currently being researched by the National Physical Laboratory and Coventry University, lies in printing conductive circuits directly onto fibres of complete garments. This means it becomes part of the clothing, and allows fabrics to stretch and wash. To do this, silver nanoparticles are first chemically bound onto individual fibres. Copper does not bind to fibres, but it does bind to the nanoparticles so this allows the creation of a conductive copper layer which encapsulates fibres. This creates a good adhesion, even when fibres are flexed and stretched. The process can print complex circuits onto existing clothing. Real-time monitoring anywhere Circuit printing opens up a myriad of possibilities as it allows a network of sensors to be precisely positioned across the area to be monitored, without being affected by clothes moving on the body. Smart textiles are already beginning to appear: a company called Footfalls and Heartbeats has developed smart compression bandages for venous ulcers. When the fabric stretches there is a change in electrical resistance, which can be accurately measured. So bandages can indicate if they are too tight or too loose, and also detect swelling. It currently knits in conductive yarns, which act as the connecting wires but Footfalls is looking into printing circuits to make the product more robust. Related: Smartwatches will revolutionise treatment for chronic conditions What next? Textile circuit printing has been successfully demonstrated on a variety of materials including cotton, polyester and linen. Cotton has proven especially successful, and shown little deterioration after 100 washes. The next steps is to further develop the chemical deposition process on materials other than cotton. Then we need to scale up the process, which is likely to be through a commercial partnership. With the right interest, this technology could be employed in the healthcare profession within three to five years. Wearables are not yet at the stage where they can be relied on for remote healthcare, but that is changing: printing circuits directly onto fibres has the potential to provide real-time healthcare that can integrate into the patient’s daily life. Electronics integrated into clothing could open up many new opportunities, bringing huge benefits to both healthcare professionals and patients. Join our network to read more pieces like this. And follow us on Twitter (@GdnHealthcare) to keep up with the latest healthcare news and views. |