PHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORING GARMENTS

• US 20150250420A1
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Company Limited (Aiful Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Andrea Aliverti
• Inventors: LONGINOTTI-BUITONI, Gianluigi, ALIVERTI, Andrea
• Granted Patent: US 10,159,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/002 adapted to accommodate electronic equipment patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1135 by monitoring thoracic expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/22 using resistance strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/023 Transducers incorporated in garment, rucksacks or the like

Abstract

Described herein are apparatuses (e.g., garments, including but not limited to shirts, pants, and the like) for detecting and monitoring physiological parameters, such as respiration, cardiac parameters, and the like.

Claims

1. A garment adapted to monitor the regional respiration of a wearer, the garment comprising:

a garment body comprising a compression fabric, wherein the body is configured as a compression garment;

a plurality of respiratory sensors arranged on different regions of the body, wherein each respiratory sensor comprises an elastic ribbon impregnated with a conductive ink, an electrical connector at each end of the elastic ribbon, and a cover comprising a piece of compression fabric; and

a sensor module interface located on the body, wherein each respiratory sensor connects to the sensor module interface, further wherein the module interface is configured to connect with a sensor manager unit to detect changes in electrical resistance respiratory sensors.

2. The garment of claim 1 wherein the plurality of respiratory sensors comprises six or more respiratory sensors.

3. The garment of claim 1, wherein the plurality of respiratory sensors comprises separately arranged in anterior or posterior, upper or lower, right or left regions of the body.

4. The garment of claim 1 configured as a shirt.

5. The garment of claim 1, wherein the respiratory sensors are connected to the sensor module interface via a stitched zig-zag connector formed on a separate piece of compression fabric attached to the garment body.

6. The garment of claim 1, further wherein the respiratory sensors are enclosed in the cover of compression fabric and attached to a surface of the garment body.

7. The garment of claim 1, wherein the respiratory sensors are configured vary the resistance through the sensor as the subject breathes.

8. The garment of claim 1, further comprising a reference line to which each of the respiratory sensors of the plurality of respiratory sensors connects at an end of the respiratory sensor.

9. The garment of claim 1, further comprising at least one ECG electrode on an inner surface of the garment body.

10. The garment of claim 1, further comprising an ECG electrode formed of a conductive ink material on an inner surface of the garment body.

11. The garment of claim 1, further comprising a pocket on the garment body configured to hold a sensor manager unit in connection with the sensor module interface.

12. The garment of claim 1, wherein the plurality of respiratory sensors comprises a first plurality of respiratory sensors on a left side of the garment arranged in parallel and a second plurality of respiratory sensors on a right side of the garment arranged in parallel.

13. The garment of claim 1, further comprising a stitched zig-zag connector foamed on a separate piece of compression fabric attached to the garment body, wherein the stitched zig-zag connector comprises a plurality of insulated wires sewn into the separate piece of compression fabric in a sinusoidal or zig-zag pattern, further wherein each respiration sensor of the plurality of respiration sensors connects to an insulated wire in the plurality of insulated wires.

14. The garment of claim 1, wherein each respiratory sensor of the plurality of respiratory sensors is enclosed within the cover comprising the piece of compression fabric and attached to the garment body.

15. The garment of claim 1, wherein each respiration sensor comprises the elastic ribbon impregnated with the conductive ink and less than 10% binder.

16. A garment system for monitoring a wearer'"'"'s electrocardiogram (ECG), the garment system comprising:

a garment body comprising a compression fabric, wherein the garment body is configured as a compression garment to be worn on a torso;

a first set of six electrical sensors arranged on the garment body in a first curve extending across the left pectoral region of the wearer'"'"'s chest when the garment is worn, wherein each electrical sensor comprises a conductive ink electrode printed on an inner surface of the body;

a support harness configured to be worn over the first set of electrical sensors;

an expandable support structure configured to be worn between the support harness and the first set of electrical sensors;

a right arm electrode formed from conductive ink printed on an inner surface of the garment body; and

a left arm electrode formed from conductive ink printed on an inner surface of the garment body;

wherein each electrical sensor is connected to a sensor module interface configured to communicate data from the electrical sensors to a sensor manager unit.

17. The garment system of claim 16, further comprising a second set of six electrical sensors arranged on the body in a second curve that is adjacent to the second curve;

18. The garment system of claim 16, wherein the support harness is integrated into the garment body.

19. The garment system of claim 16, wherein the support harness is separate from the garment body and configured to be worn over the garment body.

20. The garment system of claim 16, wherein the support harness comprises rigid regions connected by elastic regions.

21. The garment system of claim 16, wherein the expandable support structure is inflatable.

22. The garment system of claim 16, wherein the expandable support structure is self-inflatable.

23. The garment system of claim 16, wherein the electrical sensors each comprise:

a layer of adhesive;

a layer of conductive ink having;

between about 40-60% conductive particles, between about 30-50% binder;

between about 3-7% solvent; and

between about 3-7% thickener; and

a gradient region between the conductive ink and the adhesive, the gradient region comprising a nonhomogeneous mixture of the conductive ink and the adhesive wherein the concentration of conductive ink decreases from a region closer to the layer of conductive ink to the layer of elastic adhesive.

24. The garment of claim 16, wherein the electrical sensors are connected to the sensor module interface via a stitched zig-zag connector formed on a separate piece of compression fabric attached to the garment body.

25. The garment of claim 16, further comprising at least one respiratory sensor comprising an elastic ribbon impregnated with a conductive ink, an electrical connector at each end of the elastic ribbon, and a cover comprising a piece of compression fabric.

26. The garment of claim 16, wherein the support harness is a strap and the expandable support structure is sized for use with a male chest.

27. The garment of claim 16, wherein the support harness is a bra.

28. The garment of claim 16, wherein the expandable support structure is sized for use with a female chest.

29. A garment adapted to continuously monitor a wearer'"'"'s electrocardiogram (ECG), the shirt comprising:

a garment body comprising a fabric, wherein the garment body is configured as a compression garment to hold the shirt against the wearer'"'"'s torso;

a first set of six electrical sensors arranged on the garment body in a first curve extending across the left pectoral region of the wearer'"'"'s chest when the shirt is worn, wherein each electrical sensor comprises a conductive ink electrode printed on an inner surface of the body;

a second set of six electrical sensors arranged on the garment body in a second curve that is adjacent to the second curve;

a right arm electrode formed from conductive ink printed on an inner surface of the body; and

a left arm electrode formed from conductive ink printed on an inner surface of the body;

wherein each electrical sensor is connected to a sensor module interface configured to communicate data from the electrical sensors to a sensor manager unit.

30. A wearable fabric strain gauge device, the device comprising:

an elongate length of elastic fabric impregnated with a conductive material, wherein the conductive material comprises conductive particles at between about 85% and 99% of the conductive material and a binder, wherein the binder is between 0.1% and 15% of conductive material;

a first metal connector attached at a first end of the elongate length of elastic fabric impregnated with the conductive material;

a second metal connector attached at the second end of the elongate length of elastic fabric impregnated with the conductive material; and

a covering over the elongate length of elastic fabric impregnated with the conductive material, wherein the covering comprises a compression fabric.

31. The device of claim 30, further comprising a conductive thread sewn into a length of compression fabric in a zig-zag or sinusoidal pattern and electrically coupled to the first metal connector.

32. The device of claim 30, further comprising a first conductive thread sewn into a first length of compression fabric in a zig-zag or sinusoidal pattern and electrically coupled to the first metal connector and a second conductive thread sewn into a second length of compression fabric in a zig-zag or sinusoidal pattern and electrically coupled to the second metal connector.

33. The device of claim 30, wherein the conductive particles comprise carbon black particles.

34. The device of claim 30, wherein the conductive particle are selected from the group consisting of:

carbon black, graphene, graphite, and mica coated with oxide.

35. The device of claim 30, wherein the conductive particles are between about 90% and 99% and the binder is between 0.1% and 10%.

36. The device of claim 30, wherein the binder is selected from acrylic and water based polyurethane.

37. The device of claim 30, wherein the device has less than 1% electrical hysteresis after elongating more than twice its lengths.

38. The device of claim 30, wherein the elongate length of elastic fabric returns to its original length in less than 1 second after elongating more than twice its length.