MULTIFUNCTIONAL CONDUCTING POLYMER STRUCTURES
First Claim
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1. Multifunctional device comprising in combination:
- (a) a conducting polymer element having the value of a physical property responsive to a condition to which said element is exposed, said element being capable of changing the condition in response to a stimulus external to said element;
(b) means for measuring the value of the physical property and generating a signal in response thereto; and
(c) means for receiving the signal from said value measuring means, for generating a stimulus effective for maintaining the condition at a chosen value or changing the condition to a new value and for applying the stimulus to said element.
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Abstract
The present invention includes the use of conducting polymers as sensors in distributed sensing systems, as sensors and operating elements in multifunctional devices, and for conducting-polymer based multifunctional sensing fabrics suitable for monitoring humidity, breath, heart rate, blood (location of wounds), blood pressure, skin temperature, weight and movement, in a wearable, electronic embedded sensor system, as examples. A fabric comprising conducting polyaniline fibers that can be used to distribute energy for resistive heating as well as for sensing the fabric temperature is described as an example of a multifunctional sensing fabric.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. Multifunctional device comprising in combination:
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(a) a conducting polymer element having the value of a physical property responsive to a condition to which said element is exposed, said element being capable of changing the condition in response to a stimulus external to said element; (b) means for measuring the value of the physical property and generating a signal in response thereto; and (c) means for receiving the signal from said value measuring means, for generating a stimulus effective for maintaining the condition at a chosen value or changing the condition to a new value and for applying the stimulus to said element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. Apparatus for measuring subject status, comprising in combination:
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(a) a first plurality of substantially parallel, spaced-apart, electrically conducting polymer fibers defining a first surface; (b) a second plurality of substantially parallel, spaced-apart, electrically conducting polymer fibers defining a second surface, such that the first surface and the second surface are coextensive; (c) means for electrically isolating said first plurality of polymer fibers from said second plurality of polymer fibers; (d) means for applying an electrical signal to at least one polymer fiber of said first plurality of polymer fibers; (e) means for detecting an electrical signal on at least one polymer fiber of said second plurality of polymer fibers; and (f) means for measuring the time dependence of the resistance of at least one polymer fiber from said first plurality of polymer fibers, or from said second plurality of polymer fibers. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. Apparatus for heating, comprising in combination:
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(a) at least one conducting polymer fiber; (b) means for applying electric current to said at least one conducting polymer fiber; and (c) means for measuring the resistance of said at least one polymer fiber, such that the temperature of said fiber can be determined. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for heating, comprising the steps of:
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(a) applying electric current to at least one conducting polymer fiber; and (b) measuring the resistance of the at least one polymer fiber, such that the temperature of the fiber can be determined. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification