SBIR Phase I: Second Skin: 3D Microfluidics-Enabled Fabric for Perspiration Management

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力包括开发下一代高性能织物，用于使用3D微流体去除和管理人体汗液。该项目的开发实现了高度透气，轻便，永不饱和的服装和织物产品，目标是在广泛的实际应用中进行受控的水分管理。在可预见的未来，它可以应用于专业运动员和高强度锻炼的运动服装、仓库工人的高湿度防护服以及极端工作条件下的特殊服装（例如，宇航员、消防员、士兵和矿工），为性能和安全方面做出贡献。重要的是，3D微流体织物可以以合理的成本制造，并在高性能服装市场上以具有竞争力的价格出售，与现有产品相比具有巨大的优势，毛利润至少可以达到50%。本项目旨在解决目前水分管理织物的问题，该织物利用长期存在的毛细吸收原理，在大量出汗时表现不佳。织物被水分浸透，导致人体在剧烈的运动中产生不适、过热和疲劳。所提出的3D微流体织物通过使用嵌入式微通道将汗液从皮肤快速引导和去除到期望的位置，同时保持其余区域干燥和透气来解决这个问题。 将研究这种织物的工业规模化生产，与传统产品相比，表征其在重汗管理方面的性能，并进行人体穿着试验以验证。预计在第一阶段完成后，3D微流体织物的功能性制造原型将更加透气，重量轻，干燥和舒适。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project includes the development of a next-generation high-performance fabric for removing and managing perspiration on human body using 3D microfluidics. The development of this project enables highly breathable, lightweight, and never-saturated apparels and fabric products targeted at controlled moisture management in a wide range of real-world applications. In the foreseeable future, it can be applied to sports apparel for professional athletes and intensive exercises, high-humidity protective clothing for warehouse workers, and special garments for extreme working conditions (e.g., astronauts, firefighters, soldiers, and miners), contributing to both performance and safety aspects. Importantly, the 3D microfluidics-enabled fabric can be manufactured at a reasonable cost and sold for a competitive price in the high-performance apparel market with enormous advantages over the existing products, where the gross profit can be at least 50%.This project aims at solving the current problems of moisture-management fabric which utilizes the long-standing principle of capillary absorption and performs poorly during heavy perspiration. The saturation of the fabric by moisture lead to uncomfortableness, overheat and fatigue of body in intensive physical activities. The proposed 3D microfluidic fabric solves this problem by rapidly directing and removing the sweat from skin to desired locations using embedded microchannels, while maintaining the rest area dry and gas-permeable. Research will be conducted on the industrial scalable manufacture of this fabric, characterization of its performance in heavy perspiration management compared with conventional products and wear trials for validation on human body. A functional manufacturing-ready prototype of the 3D microfluidic-enabled fabric that is more vapor permeable, lightweight, dry and comfortable under heavy perspiration is expected upon the completion of Phase I.