Garment for measuring physiological signal

• US 7,783,334 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, The Industry & Academic Cooperation In Chungnam National University
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, The Industry & Academic Corporation In Chungnam National University
• Inventors: Nam, Seung Hoon, Park, Hye Jun, Hong, Kyung Hi, Kim, Seung Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen; Lee S
• Application Number:
  US11/481,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 600/386, 600/388, 600/389, 600/393
• US Class Current: 600/388
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests

Abstract

Provided is a smart garment for measuring a physiological signal which can improve comfort and convenience of wear and correctly measure a physiological signal. The smart garment for measuring physiological signals includes an electrode which is made of an electro-conductive fabric and detects a physiological signal, a physiological signal transmission line through which the detected physiological signal is transmitted, a physiological signal measuring unit which is connected to the transmission line, receives the physiological signal, and measures information regarding body conditions related to the physiological signal, and a pocket where the physiological signal measuring unit in inserted.

Claims

1. A smart garment for measuring physiological signals, comprising:

a garment configured to cover the chest of a person,

wherein the garment has a first and second side comprising;

an electrode which is made of an electro-conductive fabric and detects a physiological signal, which is attached to the second side of the garment so as to be between the skin of the person and the second side of the garment during use;

a physiological signal transmission line having a first and second end,

wherein the first end is connected to the electro-conductive fabric through which the detected physiological signal is transmitted;

a physiological signal measuring unit which is connected to the second end of the transmission line, receives the physiological signal, and measures information regarding body conditions related to the physiological signal,

wherein the physiological signal transmission line is made of an electro-conductive thread; and

a pocket where the physiological signal measuring unit is inserted,

wherein a curved tuck is formed on the first side of the garment, and the physiological signal transmission line is inserted inside the tuck, so that the transmission line is insulated, and the transmission line without elongation can easily cope with elongation and bending of a garment material,

wherein the curved tuck is formed such that the transmission line can be disposed in any position on the first side of the garment,

wherein the tuck is formed by folding and sewing the garment,

wherein the physiological signal transmission line is insulated by a fiber material inserted inside the electro-conductive thread, which is made of insulation thread from a narrow width fabric by inserting an end of a string having one or more threads inside the electro-conductive thread, and

wherein the string is fabricated of the insulation fiber material.

2. The smart garment of claim 1, wherein an adhesive silicon is coated around the electrode to reduce a contact resistance between the electrode and skin of a user, so as to reduce noise generated when the electrode detects the physiological signal.

3. The smart garment of claim 1, wherein when the garment is made of a non-elastic material, a surface of the garment is insulated by using a heat-fusion tape or adhesive used for seam sealing.

4. The smart garment of claim 1, wherein a hook and loop fastener is included inside the pocket, and the physiological signal measuring unit is fixed to the pocket by the hook and loop fastener.

5. The smart garment of claim 1, wherein the physiological signal measuring unit is fixed by using an elastic fabric as a material of the pocket.

6. The smart garment of claim 1, wherein the physiological signal measuring unit comprises:

a physiological signal measurement data extracting unit which extracts data after the received physiological signal is amplified; and

a body condition value calculating unit which calculates a body condition value from the extracted data, and transmits the body condition value to an external terminal by wire or wirelessly.