TecInTex:

Technology Integration into Textiles:

Empowering Health
Gerhard Trster

Structure
Partners
ETH Zrich (G. Trster, K.Cherenack: Electronics Lab)
EMPA St Gallen, Dbendorf (R.Rossi, M.Heuberger, F. Clemens)
CSEM Neuchatel (S.Pasche, J. Luprano)
University Hospital Zurich (M. Wolf)
Paraplegic Center Nottwil (U.Baumberger)
industrial partners

started July 1st, 2009

4 years

Slide 2

April 29, 2010

Why Technology in Textiles ?

Monitoring
g the human bodyy
Disease prevention (pressure ulcers, )
Tracking of vital body functions (ECG, temperature, arterial oxygenation,
ventilation, )

Monitoring the environment

Sensing temperature, humidity, motion, strain,
Heating, illumination (e.g. in cars and airplanes)

Impact at Swiss textile

l industry:
d
11000 employees (2007)
annual growth rate of functional textile: up to 25%

Slide 3

April 29, 2010

State-of-the-Art E-Textiles
Today few sensing capabilities on textile available:
Skin electrodes, heating elements, touch pads, membranes,

First products available commercially:

Sport belts (Polar)
Heated gloves and ski jackets

Road blocks
Loss of textile properties (touch, washability,)
Connections between textile electronic components and environment
Poor sensing capabilities at fiber level
Insufficient manufacturing processes, materials, packaging
Slide 4

April 29, 2010

Approach
Fibres
E-Fibers
Conductive
Integrated sensors
O-Fibers
Flexible optical fibres
Biosensing fibers

Fabrics
Demonstrators
healthcare
Slide 5

Healthcare Demonstrator : NIRS

April 29, 2010

in Socks

NIRS ((Near Infrared Spectroscopy)

p
py)
images O2
Early detection and
treatment of peripheral
vascular disease (PVD)
(affects 30% of >65 years):
Impaired blood flow to muscle
Lack of oxygen

enough O2
Detector

lack of O2

Light
Source

Goal
on-line and non-invasive measurement of tissue oxygenation in muscles
20 emitters and 20 photo diodes integrated in a sock
using optical fibres, conductive fibres, transducers and attached ICs
pilot study in subjects with risk factors for peripheral vascular disease
Slide 6

4. November 2008

Healthcare Demonstrator: Intelligent

underwear

for paraplegic people to prevent and to treat ulcer

High decubitus risk

Goal
Continuous measurement of pressure distribution, temperature and
humidity for prevention of ulcers; and of wound exudates (pH,
concentration of typical proteins) in case of ulcers
using bio-fibres, sensor stripes, conductive fibres, transducers
pilot study in healthy subjects and in paraplegics

Slide 7

April 29, 2010

E-Fibres
Metallization of fibers using plasma sputtering process
Surface modifications
( anti-corrosion, wetting)

Development of suitable coating without adversely

affecting textile properties

www.empa.ch/advancedfibers
Slide 8

April 29, 2010

Metallized fibers/ yarns

Air-to-air
Air
to air process, speed >100 m/min
-

He/O2 plasma cleaning/activation

Ag sputtering ( Argon)

500 nm

Slide 9

April 29, 2010

Slide 10

April 29, 2010

Ag-coated conductive, textile yarns

Flexible PU Based Coatings

Polyurethane
polymer
Metallized Polyamide
Monofilament ( ~ 80 m)

PU Coated Metallized
Polyamide Monofilament
( ~ 90-110m)
90 110m)

Thickness of films
~ 5-15 m
Slide 12

April 29, 2010

Melt Coating
Wire coating
("co-extrusion")
for the application of
insulation layers

Filament

Polymer
melt

Wire coating die

uncoated
t d filament
fil
t

coated
filament

conducting layer (Ag)

insulation layer
(polymer)
Slide 13

April 29, 2010

Piezoresistive strain sensor fibres

Slide 14

April 29, 2010

O-Fibres: Polymeric Optical Fibers for Fabrics

therapy

lighting

POF

sensing

Slide 15

April 29, 2010

Bi-component Fibres

Spider:

bi-component
p
polymeric
p
y
optical
p
fibres
Zeonor(core)-PMMA(cladding)
Problem: PMMA too brittle (even for cladding material)

Next step: testing of fluorated polymers as

cladding material (-> THV 815)
Slide 16

April 29, 2010

Biosensing
Development of optical fibres for biosensing and
integration in textile
Electronic and signal processing for optical fiber based
sensor

Slide 17

April 29, 2010

Optical fibres for sensing

Based on light absorption / fluorescence / chemiluminescence
Sensitive
S
iti coating
ti (sol-gel,
( l l hydrogel)
h d
l)
Incorporation of indicator chemistry (transduces changes in the analyte
concentration)
Evanescent wave sensing (along optical fibre)

Multifunction probes based on multiwavelength analysis and mixed indicator sensor

Slide 18

April 29, 2010

Slide 19

April 29, 2010

Relevant markers for chronic wounds

Wound healing phases and chronic wounds (pressure ulcers)

Selected markers (in exudates)

pH
Proteases (e.g. MMPs)
Lactate
Multi-parametric

Measurement set-up (prototype)

LabVIEW
analysis

Weaving of optical fibres

Fluidic cells

sensing zone
Slide 20

April 29, 2010

LED
Photodetector

pH sensing with optical fibres

Glass optical fibre, diameter 200 m
Sol-gel coating + pH dyes

2 cm

Reversible, real-time pH monitoring

Slide 21

April 29, 2010

10

Flexible Sensor Stripes and Fibres

Planar thinfilm technology
gy

Sensors

Transistors

Integrated circuits

Small (< 0.5mm) stripes woven into

textiles

Slide 22

April 29, 2010

Weaving and mechanical strain

Bending radii 150m
Cracking of
interconnects

R = 165m

Patterning of copper
reduces minimum
bending radius

200m

Electronic fiber

Slide 23

April 29, 2010

11

Temperature

Sensors

100 nm gold

500m
Strain gauge

Humidity
PEDOT.PSS
200m

Sensing layer
Slide 24

April 29, 2010

Thin Film Transistors

ZnO (zinc
(zinc-oxide)
oxide)
IGZO
(indium gallium zinc-oxide)
500m

Bending performance

IGZO
TFT

Slide 25

April 29, 2010

12

Sensorized Shirt
Temperature

Slide 26

April 29, 2010

Challenges
Integration of technologies and tools in the industrial
manufacturing processes
Transfer to Swiss textile industry

Slide 27

April 29, 2010

13