Knitted transducer devices

• US 20090018428A1
• Filed: 05/19/2004
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smartlife Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Umist Ventures Limited (University of Manchester)
• Inventors: Hurley, William, Dias, Tilak, Mukhopadhyay, Samir, Cooke, William, Mitcham, Kim, Beatty, Paul Charles William, Wijesiriwardana, Ravindra
• Application Number:
  US10/557,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20090018428A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/388
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1281 with incorporated means for medical monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/106 at a selvedge, e.g. hems or turned welts
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/12 characterised by thread material
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/14 Fabrics characterised by the incorporation by knitting, in one or more thread, fleece, or fabric layers, of reinforcing, binding, or decorative threads; Fabrics incorporating small auxiliary elements, e.g. for decorative purposes pile fabrics D04B21/02; non-woven fabrics in general D04H
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/021 Lofty fabric with equidistantly spaced front and back plies, e.g. spacer fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/023 Fabric with at least two, predominantly unlinked, knitted or woven plies interlaced with each other at spaced locations or linked to a common internal co-extensive yarn system
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/02431 with electronic components, e.g. sensors or switches

Abstract

There is disclosed a knitted transducer device comprising a knitted structure having at least one transduction zone, in which the transduction zone is knitted with electrically conductive fibres so that deformation of the knitted structure results in a variation of an electrical property of the transduction zone.

Claims

1. A knitted transducer device comprising a knitted structure having at least one transduction zone, in which the transduction zone is knitted with electrically conductive fibres so that deformation of the knitted structure results in a variation of an electrical property of the transduction zone;

and means for monitoring such variations to provide an indication of deformations of the knitted structure.

2. A knitted transducer device according to claim 1 in which the first and last courses of the transduction zone are knitted with electrically conductive fibres which act as conducting leads for the knitted transducer device.

4. A knitted transducer device according to claim 1 in which the electrically conductive fibres comprise elastomeric conductive yarn.

5. A knitted transducer device according to claim 1 in which the transduction zone is knitted with a plurality of types of electrically conductive fibres, each type having a different resistivity.

13. A knitted transducer device according to claim 1, the device being substantially cylindrical and in which the monitoring means monitors variations of the induction of the transduction zone.

14. A knitted transducer device according to claim 13 in which the transduction zone is knitted from electrically conductive fibres and non-conductive fibres.

15. A knitted transducer device according to claim 14 in which the electrically conductive fibres are disposed on the outside of the device, and the non-conductive fibres are disposed on the inside of the device.

16. A knitted transducer device according to claim 1 in which the monitoring means monitors variations of the electrical capacitance of the transduction zone.

17. A knitted transducer device according to claim 16 in which the electrically conductive fibres in the transduction zone define a plurality of spaced apart electrodes.

18. A knitted transducer device according to claim 17 in which the electrodes are concentric.

19. A knitted transducer device according to claim 17 in which the electrodes are interdigitated.

20. A knitted transducer device according to claim 17 in which the electrodes are parallel plate electrodes.

21. A knitted transducer device according to claim 20 in which the transduction zone further comprises one or more knitted layers of non-conductive fibres extending between the parallel plate electrodes.

24. A detection system comprising:

at least one knitted transducer device according to claim 1;

electrical supply means for supplying an electrical signal to a knitted transducer device; and

detection means for monitoring an electrical characteristic of a knitted transducer device.

25. A detection system according to claim 24 comprising a plurality of knitted transducer devices in which the detection means derives information pertaining to the relative spatial orientation of the knitted transducer devices.

26. A detection system according to claim 25 in which the detection means derives information pertaining to the relative orientations of the knitted transducer devices by comparing monitored electrical characteristics of the knitted transducer devices.

27. A detection system according to claim 24 in which electrical characteristics at a plurality of frequencies are monitored.

3. (canceled)

6. A knitted transducer device according to claim I in which the monitoring means monitors variations of the electrical resistance of the transduction zone.

7. A knitted transducer device according to claim 6 operable as a strain gauge, in which:

the transduction zone is knitted with electrically conductive fibres and non-conductive fibres; and

the electrically conductive fibres in the transduction zone extend in a common direction.

8. A knitted transducer device according to claim 7 in which the electrically conductive fibres extend in the course direction of the transduction zone.

9. A knitted transducer device according to claim 7 in which the electrically conductive fibres are incorporated into the transduction zone as laid in fibres.

11. A resistive displacement knitted transducer device according to claim 6 in which the transduction zone is knitted with a plurality of types of electrically conductive fibres, each type having a different resistivity, in which the transduction zone comprises:

a transducing section formed from knitting together electrically conductive fibres; and

a plurality of electrical contacts in electrical connection with the transducing section, the electrical contacts comprising knitted electrically conductive fibres of a higher electrical conductivity than the electrical conductivity of the electrically conductive fibres in the transducing zone; and

in which displacement of the knitted structure from a relaxed configuration results in a variation of the electrical resistance of the transduction zone which is functionally related to the displacement.

10. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

28-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A garment having three or more knitted layers and comprising:

a first knitted layer having one or more knitted transducer devices in the form of a knitted structure having at least one transduction zone, in which the transduction zone is knitted with electrically conductive fibres so that deformation of the knitted structure results in a variation of an electrical property of the transduction zone;

a second knitted layer; and

a third knitted layer having one or more knitted transducer devices in the form of a knitted structure having at least one transduction zone, in which the transduction zone is knitted with electrically conductive fibres so that deformation of the knitted structure results in a variation of an electrical property of the transduction zone.

36. A garment according to claim 35 in which the second knitted layer screens electrical signals emanating from or introduced to a knitted transducer device located in the third knitted layer.

37. A garment according to claim 36 in which a knitted transducer device in the third layer is an inductive knitted transducer device.

38-41. -41. (canceled)

42. A method of obtaining an ECG from a patient comprising the steps of:

providing a garment comprising a plurality of knitted transducer devices, in which the knitted transducer devices each comprise a knitted structure having at least one transduction zone, in which the transduction zone is knitted with electrically conductive fibres so that deformation of the knitted structure results in a variation of an electrical property of the transduction zone;

clothing a patient with the garment;

supplying electrical signals of a form suitable for making ECG measurements to a knitted transducer device; and

monitoring an electrical characteristic of a knitted transducer device in order to obtain an ECG.