PFI: BIC Wearable Smart Textiles Based on Programmable and Automated Knitting Technology for Biomedical and Sensor Actuation Applications

许多医疗条件将受益于患者的持续监测和治疗，尽管由于当前医疗设备的笨重性，这目前是不切实际的。专业材料和制造技术的最新进展为创造无缝服装作为生物医学应用的传感器和执行器提供了令人兴奋的机会。针织制造，被称为纱线相互啮合成环（产生织物），是一种古老的纺织品生产形式，广泛应用于时装行业。针织技术在可穿戴电子领域受到了极大的关注，并可能成为未来智能纺织品的一种广泛的构建方法。在这个来自德雷塞尔大学的PFI:BIC项目中，目标是用一系列轻量级智能服装取代目前笨重的医疗监测设备。这些服装的纤维含量将与运动服装中常用的纤维含量相似，例如吸汗聚酯纤维，以确保透气性和舒适性，而由智能材料制成的致动器和传感器将策略性地放置在服装中，仅占所用材料的一小部分。该项目将利用与基于织物的连接器、微波天线、超级电容器和机器人技术相关的知识产权，将智能织物传感器和执行器集成到舒适的服装中，提供目前不可能实现的不显眼的传感和治疗选择。对于纺织通信，将通过编织不同的微波结构来制作有源和无源收发器。这些编织微波结构也将与无源射频识别信号的处理一起用于制造机械应变传感器。利用形状记忆合金的编织机器人技术将实现机械驱动。编织天线将与编织超级电容器相结合，为身体区域传感器网络创建无线电力系统。与患者和保健从业人员的焦点小组将确定市场需求。原型服装将在目标用户身上进行测试。工业合作伙伴将提供原材料、制造建议和商业化专业知识。关键是德雷塞尔大学（Drexel University）的岛精织（Shima Seiki）针织技术，该技术使设计和制造可穿戴和可机洗智能（集成电源和电路）纺织品的定制和创新成为可能，这些纺织品能够无线传感和驱动处理应用。该项目的重点目标应用将包括用于怀孕期间子宫收缩监测的“肚脐”、医疗传感器贴片和用于治疗按摩的针织机器人。德雷塞尔大学已经形成了一个跨学科的学术团队，包括来自工业和时装设计、材料和电气工程、护理和医学以及管理和创业的专业知识。为了配合这个学术团队，一个代表所有生产和商业化水平的三层行业合作伙伴关系已经形成。材料供应商层包括EY Technologies（小型企业，马萨诸塞州福尔里弗），定制工程团队为专业纱线的开发提供创造性解决方案，从而为新型生物医学智能纺织品创造具有独特功能的原材料。制造层包括Shima Seiki USA（大型企业，位于新泽西州门罗镇），这是3D针织模拟软件和计算机针织机的领导者，可在实验室和生产规模上制造生物医学智能纺织品。最后，在商业化层面，NetScientific America（小型企业，Harrison， NY）在Drexel Coulter转化研究项目的工业顾问委员会的支持下，将帮助确定各种生物医学智能纺织品解决方案的商业可行性，并将有前景的技术推向市场。本富兰克林技术合作伙伴/东南PA（非营利性，宾夕法尼亚州费城）将作为一个更广泛的合作伙伴，建立在启动大学/行业合作伙伴关系的经验基础上，加速科学发现的商业化，并播种加强区域创业社区的区域倡议。

Many medical conditions would benefit from continuous patient monitoring and treatment, although this is currently impractical due to the cumbersome nature of current medical equipment. Recent advancements in specialized materials and fabrication technologies offer exciting opportunities to create seamless garments as sensors and actuators for biomedical applications. Knitting fabrication, known as the intermeshing of yarns into loops (resulting in fabrics), is an ancient form of textile production widely used in the fashion industry. Knitting technology has gained a great deal of attention in the field of wearable electronics and could become a widespread method of construction for smart textiles in the future. In this PFI:BIC project from Drexel University, the aim is to replace current bulky medical monitoring devices with a line of lightweight smart garments. The fiber content of these garments will be similar to those commonly used in active wear such as wicking polyester to insure breathability and comfort, while the actuators and sensors, made of smart materials, will be strategically placed in the clothing to comprise only a small percentage of the material used. The project will leverage intellectual property pertaining to fabric-based connectors, microwave antennas, super capacitors, and robotics, to integrate smart fabric sensors and actuators into comfortable clothing, providing unobtrusive sensing and treatment options that are not currently possible. For textile communication, active and passive transceivers will be fabricated through knitting of different microwave structures. These knit microwave structures will also be used along with processing of passive RFID signals to create mechanical strain sensors. Mechanical actuation will be realized through knit robot technology making use of shape memory alloys. The knit antennas will be combined with knit supercapacitors to create wireless power systems for body area sensor networks. Focus groups with patients and healthcare practitioners will determine market needs. Prototype garments will be beta tested with sample target users. Industrial partners will provide raw materials, manufacturing advice, and commercialization expertise. Key is Shima Seiki knitting technology at Drexel University, which enables customization and innovation in the design and fabrication of wearable and machine washable smart (with integrated power and circuitry) textiles capable of wireless sensing and actuated treatment applications. Target applications that are the focus of this project will include a "bellyband" for uterine contraction monitoring during pregnancy, medical sensor patches, and knit robots for therapeutic massage. Drexel University has formed an interdisciplinary academic team including expertise from industrial and fashion design, materials and electrical engineering, nursing and medicine, as well as management and entrepreneurship. To complement this academic team, a three-tier industry partnership representing all levels of production and commercialization has been formed. The Material Suppliers tier includes EY Technologies (small business, Fall River, MA), custom-engineering groups providing creative solutions for the development of specialized yarns allowing for the creation of raw materials with unique functionality for novel biomedical smart textiles. The Fabrication tier includes Shima Seiki USA (large business, Monroe Township, NJ), a leader in 3D knitting simulation software and computerized knitting machines to manufacture biomedical smart textiles at both laboratory and production scale. Finally, in the Commercialization tier, NetScientific America (small business, Harrison, NY) augmented by the industrial advisory board of the Drexel Coulter Translational Research program will help determine commercial viability of various biomedical smart textile solutions and carry promising technologies to the market. Ben Franklin Technology Partners/Southeastern PA (non-profit, Philadelphia, PA) will serve as a broader context partner building upon experience in launching university/industry partnerships that accelerate scientific discoveries to commercialization and seeding regional initiatives that strengthen the regional entrepreneurial community.