SBIR Phase I: Skin-Voltage Biometric Sensing Using Highly Conductive Fabric Electrodes on Wearable Garments

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是扩大对医疗保健数据的访问。该项目开发的系统的用户可以实时进行心率、肌肉活动和体重计算等生物特征测量，并通过嵌入衣服中的传感器收集数据。 这一创新使临床环境内外都能进行重要测量，同时降低仪器重量和成本要求。这种基于织物的技术可以为从医疗专业人员到日常消费者的用户提供服务，这些用户将更容易采用可穿戴软材料产品来代替传统的硬件设备。物理治疗、术前研究、运动实验室和门诊护理等专业领域的新技术采用增长机会最高。作为远程医疗快速发展的补充，实时和远程跟踪的生物传感功能将通过提供更好的访问全面的重要测量数据来提高患者依从性并帮助医疗保健工作者。这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目涉及导电线和织物的材料科学研究。这些纺织品可以弯曲，拉伸，并沿着身体压缩，他们穿着。此外，它们的机电特性使它们能够拾取身体自然产生的小电压和电流信号，特别是心脏，肌肉和大脑。通过将这些材料策略性地编织在衬衫内，可以同时捕获EKG（心脏），EMG（肌肉），EEG（大脑）和BIA（水和身体质量含量）的小电压，并测量心率，肌肉活动，大脑活动以及水和脂肪含量测量。技术研究将涉及针对小信号和低噪声拾取优化的织物材料的创新，以及结合多个织物电极的舒适服装的设计，用于同时拾取EKG/EMG/BIA信号。该项目还将开发新的信号处理算法，将原始电压转换为无线传输的实时信号。期望的技术成果是一个功能和可穿戴的原型，从织物到服装到接收移动的或桌面应用程序的端到端通信，可视化心率，肌肉活动和体重分析的处理数据。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估而被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to broaden access to healthcare data. Users of the system developed in this project can take biometric measurements such as heart rate, muscle-activity, and body mass calculations in real-time, with data collected through sensors embedded into clothing. The innovation enables vital measurements to be taken, both inside and outside of clinical environments, while reducing instrumentation weight and cost requirements. This fabric-based technology can potentially serve users ranging from medical professionals to everyday consumers who will more easily adopt wearable soft-material products in lieu of traditional hardware devices. Specialized sectors such as physical therapy, pre-surgical studies, sports labs, and out-patient care have the highest growth opportunity for new technology adoption. Complementing the rapid growth of telehealth, bio-sensing capabilities for real-time and remote tracking will improve patient compliance and aid health care workers by providing better access to comprehensive vital measurement data.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project involves material science research in conductive threads and fabrics. These soft goods can bend, stretch, and compress along the body where they are worn. In addition, their electromechanical characteristics allow them to pick up small voltage and current signals that are naturally generated from the body, specifically from the heart, muscles, and the brain. By strategically weaving these materials within a shirt, small voltages for EKG (heart), EMG (muscle), EEG (brain), and BIA (water and body mass content) can be simultaneously captured and measured for heart rate, muscle activity, brain activity, and water and fat content measurements. The technical research will involve innovation in fabric-materials optimized for small signal and low noise pickup and design of a comfortable garment incorporating multiple fabric-based electrodes for simultaneous pickup of EKG/EMG/BIA signals. The project will also develop new signal processing algorithms to transform raw voltages to real-time signals transmitted wirelessly. The desired technical result is a functional and wearable prototype with end-to-end communication from the fabric through the garment to a receiving mobile or desktop app visualizing the processed data for heart rate, muscle activity, and body mass analysis.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.