Smart Textiles for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

People are becoming more health conscious after pandemic and as a result, smart textile based biomedical devices are becoming popular among people. By incorporating electrical components into the textile items humans use every day, a new hybrid area called “smart textiles for biomedical applications” has been created. Along with conventional textile apparel, these wearable e-textiles provide user-defined applications. One of the main application areas for these new hybrid goods is the medical industry, and rather developed items may be seen both in the lab and on the market. These solutions are made to meet both the specific needs of individual patients as well as continuous patient monitoring in large healthcare facilities. These goods are also being utilised to substitute traditional ways and for complicated medical treatments in the interim. Major focus areas are the smart textiles that are able to measure Electrocardiogram (ECG), Electroencephalogram (EEG), Electromyography (EMG), Electrooculography (EOG), Respiration measurement, Body temperature measurement, Blood pressure measurement, Blood glucose measurement, Sleep analysis. Huge number of researchers across the globe are continuously working for advancement in smart textile based biomedical devices but due to huge manufacturing costs, most of the proposed products are not practically feasible. Another major issue is effectiveness of the sensors after washing as most of such devices are wearable e-textiles, where textile fibres are turned in to conductive materials by using various type of coatings. More dedicated interdisciplinary efforts are required form electronics, medical and textile experts for reduction of manufacturing cost and making the products practically feasible and affordable.