STTR Phase I: Wearable Fabric Sensor for Hydration Monitoring

该SBIR一期项目将提供原型产品，以满足耐力运动市场优先可穿戴传感器细分市场的客户需求。所提出的传感器的一个优点是它的感觉类似于布料，对用户来说是舒适和方便的。这与目前由厚塑料材料制成的水合作用监测仪形成了鲜明对比，后者需要使用额外的腕带或粘合剂贴片。这一价值主张是根据2017年春季NSF I-Corps研讨会期间对374名客户的访谈结果开发和测试的。这项研究确定了织物传感器监测水合作用的商业和产品潜力。仅在2015年，就有超过1710万人完成了耐力赛。根据采访数据，由于过去的脱水和抽筋问题，50%的受访者对水合溶液感兴趣。此外，40%的受访者表示对基于技术的解决方案感兴趣。这一群体认为，单价为100美元的水合作用监测仪的目标市场价值为3.42亿美元，这是基于I-Corps访谈对整个可用市场的一个很好的估计。总的来说，从开发的传感器收集的数据可以更好地了解健康和疾病过程，包括分析常见的糖尿病神经系统并发症、囊性纤维化（CF）的诊断、高级假肢应用的汗液监测、卧床病人或运动员表现跟踪，从而为所有患者提供更好的治疗和健康结果。一台能够分析人体汗液中钠浓度的监测器，将能够在患者开始患上高钠血症或低钠血症等运动引起的疾病之前通知他们。这种早期通知系统将使人们能够掌握自己的水分，并能够在需要时补充电解质，而不会过度补水。该团队已经开发出灵活、轻便的织物材料，可以选择性地从皮肤表面形成的汗液中确定生理信息。这项技术是第一个轻量级织物传感器，可以在运动或训练期间提供有关水合水平的实时信息。这些脱水模式是独特的，根据饮食、天气条件和人体生理周期而变化。监测个人水分参数的能力是该传感器所独有的，与监测水分流失的汗液监测器或每20分钟提醒运动员喝水的水计时器相比，它具有竞争优势。具体来说，拟议的工作将侧重于水合监测的大规模开发，在材料测试和运动生理学实验室中对监测进行验证，并利用与潜在战略合作伙伴的伙伴关系。当运动员努力达到最佳表现时，不适当的补水会破坏他们在训练和比赛中的进步。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This SBIR Phase I project will provide prototype products to satisfy customer needs in prioritized wearable sensor market segments for the endurance sports market. One advantage of the proposed sensor is its similar feel to cloth fabric, a benefit in comfort and convenience to the user. This is in contrast to current hydration monitors made of thick plastic materials requiring the use of an additional wristband or adhesive patch. This value proposition was developed and tested based on the findings of 374 customer interviews during a spring 2017 NSF I-Corps workshop. That study determined the commercial and product potential of a fabric sensor to monitor hydration. In 2015 alone more than 17.1 million people finished endurance events. According to interview data, 50% of respondents are interested in a hydration solution due to past dehydration and cramping issues. Additionally, 40% of respondents indicated interest in a technology-based solution. This group equates a target market of $342 million for a hydration monitor priced at $100 per unit, a good estimation of the total available market based on I-Corps interviews. In general, the data collected from the developed sensor could lead to better understanding of health and disease processes, including the analysis of common diabetic neurological complications, the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF), and sweat monitoring for advanced prosthetic limb applications, bedridden patients, or athlete performance tracking leading to better treatments and health outcomes for all patients. A monitor that analyzes the sodium concentration of a person's sweat would be able to notify them before they begin suffering from exercise-induced illnesses such as hypernatremia or hyponatermia. This early notification system would allow people to be on top of their hydration, and be able to replenish their electrolytes as needed, without overhydrating. The team has developed flexible, lightweight fabric materials that can selectively determine physiological information from sweat forming on the surface of the skin. The technology is the first lightweight fabric sensor to provide real-time information regarding hydration levels during exercise or training. These dehydration patterns are unique and vary based on diet, weather conditions, and human physiological cycles. The ability to monitor an individual's hydration parameters is unique to the proposed sensor and gives it a competitive advantage over sweat monitors that monitor water lost or water timers that remind the athlete to drink water every 20 minutes. Specifically, the proposed work will focus on the large-scale development of a hydration monitor, validation of the monitor during material testing and on the body in an exercise physiology laboratory, and leveraging partnerships with potential strategic partners. As athletes strive for peak performance, improper hydration can undermine their progress in both training and competitive settings.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.