Emerging Paradigms in Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring: Evaluating the Efficacy and Application of Innovative Textile-Based Wearables.

This comprehensive review offers a thorough examination of fetal heart rate (fHR) monitoring methods, which are an essential component of prenatal care for assessing fetal health and identifying possible problems early on. It examines the clinical uses, accuracy, and limitations of both modern and traditional monitoring techniques, such as electrocardiography (ECG), ballistocardiography (BCG), phonocardiography (PCG), and cardiotocography (CTG), in a variety of obstetric scenarios. A particular focus is on the most recent developments in textile-based wearables for fHR monitoring.

Wearable, Knitted 3D Spacer Thermoelectric Generator with Detachable p-n Junctions for Body Heat Energy Harvesting.

Textile-based thermoelectric (TE) devices are being investigated to power smart textiles autonomously. While previous research has focused on a solid system where the required junctions are fabricated into the device, there has been limited attention given to replacing these TE systems reliably. This work looks at a newer approach to the construction and demonstration of a wearable thermoelectric structure that employs three-dimensional knitted spacers to increase the temperature difference where the TE junctions are detachable and disposable.

Modern Developments for Textile-Based Supercapacitors.

Smart textiles are transforming the future of wearable technology, and due to that, there has been a great deal of new research looking for alternative energy storage. Supercapacitors offer high discharge rates, flexibility, and long life cycles and can be integrated fully into a textile. Optimization of these new systems includes utilizing electrically conductive materials, employing successful electrostatic charge and/or faradaic responses, and fabricating a textile-based energy storage system without disrupting comfort, washability, and life cycle.

Engineering Graphene Flakes for Wearable Textile Sensors via Highly Scalable and Ultrafast Yarn Dyeing Technique.

Multifunctional wearable e-textiles have been a focus of much attention due to their great potential for healthcare, sportswear, fitness, space, and military applications. Among them, electroconductive textile yarn shows great promise for use as next-generation flexible sensors without compromising the properties and comfort of usual textiles. However, the current manufacturing process of metal-based electroconductive textile yarn is expensive, unscalable, and environmentally unfriendly.

Scalable Production of Graphene-Based Wearable E-Textiles.

Graphene-based wearable e-textiles are considered to be promising due to their advantages over traditional metal-based technology. However, the manufacturing process is complex and currently not suitable for industrial scale application. Here we report a simple, scalable, and cost-effective method of producing graphene-based wearable e-textiles through the chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO) to make stable reduced graphene oxide (rGO) dispersion which can then be applied to the textile fabric using a simple pad-dry technique.

The application of a piezo-resistive cardiorespiratory sensor system in an automobile safety belt.

Respiratory and heart failure are conditions that can occur with little warning and may also be difficult to predict. Therefore continuous monitoring of these bio-signals is advantageous for ensuring human health. The car safety belt is mainly designed to secure the occupants of the vehicle in the event of an accident.

Continuous objective recording of fetal heart rate and fetal movements could reliably identify fetal compromise, which could reduce stillbirth rates by facilitating timely management.

Stillbirth currently affects approximately 1 in every 200 pregnancies in the United Kingdom. Fetuses may exhibit signs of compromise as part of a stress response before stillbirth, including reduced fetal movements (RFM) and fetal heart rate (FHR) alterations. At present, and despite widespread use, current fetal monitoring is not associated with a reduction in perinatal mortality rate (PMR) as signs of fetal compromise are not adequately detected.

Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of Textile Heating Fabric Based on Silver Coated Polymeric Yarn.

This paper presents a study conducted on the thermo-mechanical properties of knitted structures, the methods of manufacture, effect of contact pressure at the structural binding points, on the degree of heating. The test results also present the level of heating produced as a function of the separation between the supply terminals. The study further investigates the rate of heating and cooling of the knitted structures.