Assessment of a Multi-Sensor FBG-Based Wearable System in Sitting Postures Recognition and Respiratory Rate Evaluation of Office Workers.

Due to prolonged incorrect sitting posture, upper body musculoskeletal disorders (UBMDs) are largely widespread among sedentary workers. Monitoring employees' sitting behaviors could be of great help in minimizing UBMDs' occurrence. In addition, being primarily influenced by psycho-physical stress conditions, respiratory rate (RR) would be a further useful parameter to delineate the workers' state of health.

Preliminary Assessment of a Flexible Multi-Sensor Wearable System Based on Fiber Bragg Gratings for Respiratory Monitoring of Hemiplegic Patients.

Respiratory diseases are common in post-stroke hemiplegic patients and represent a major social problem as they worsen the quality of life and reduce the life span. As a consequence, being able to monitor respiratory parameters such as the respiratory rate (RR) and assess the presence of respiratory asynchronies could be of paramount importance to define hemiplegics' health status. Moreover, RR is a useful parameter to investigate the level of fatigue and distress that these patients undergo during rehabilitation processes.

A Wearable System Composed of FBG-Based Soft Sensors for Trunk Compensatory Movements Detection in Post-Stroke Hemiplegic Patients.

In this study, a novel wearable system for the identification of compensatory trunk movements (CTMs) in post-stroke hemiplegic patients is presented. The device is composed of seven soft sensing elements (SSEs) based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) technology. Each SSE consists of a single FBG encapsulated into a flexible matrix to enhance the sensor's robustness and improve its compliance with the human body.

Plant Wearable Sensors Based on FBG Technology for Growth and Microclimate Monitoring.

Plants are primary resources for oxygen and foods whose production is fundamental for our life. However, diseases and pests may interfere with plant growth and cause a significant reduction of both the quality and quantity of agriculture products. Increasing agricultural productivity is crucial for poverty reduction and food security improvements.

Humidity Sensing by Chitosan-Coated Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBG).

In this work, we report novel relative humidity sensors realized by functionalising fibre Bragg gratings with chitosan, a moisture-sensitive biopolymer never used before for this kind of fibre optic sensor. The swelling capacity of chitosan is fundamental to the sensing mechanism. Different samples were fabricated, testing the influence of coating design and deposition procedure on sensor performance.

An fMRI Compatible Smart Device for Measuring Palmar Grasping Actions in Newborns.

Grasping is one of the first dominant motor behaviors that enable interaction of a newborn infant with its surroundings. Although atypical grasping patterns are considered predictive of neuromotor disorders and injuries, their clinical assessment suffers from examiner subjectivity, and the neuropathophysiology is poorly understood. Therefore, the combination of technology with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) may help to precisely map the brain activity associated with grasping and thus provide important insights into how functional outcomes can be improved following cerebral injury.

Special Issue "Fibre Optic Sensors for Structural and Geotechnical Monitoring".

In this editorial on the special issue "Fibre Optic Sensors for Structural and Geotechnical Monitoring" a review of the contribution papers selected for publication is given. Each paper is briefly summarized, presenting its objective and methods, then a comment is given about the relevance of the work with respect to the advance and the spreading of the fibre optic technology for monitoring applications.

Critical Issues of Double-Metal Layer Coating on FBG for Applications at High Temperatures.

Use of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) to monitor high temperature (HT) applications is of great interest to the research community. Standard commercial FBGs can operate up to 600 ∘ C. For applications beyond that value, specific processing of the FBGs must be adopted to allow the grating not to deteriorate.

Cardio-Respiratory Monitoring in Archery Using a Smart Textile Based on Flexible Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors.

In precision sports, the control of breathing and heart rate is crucial to help the body to remain stable in the shooting position. To improve stability, archers try to adopt similar breathing patterns and to have a low heartbeat during each shot. We proposed an easy-to-use and unobtrusive smart textile (ST) which is able to detect chest wall excursions due to breathing and heart beating.

Multidimensional thermal mapping during radiofrequency ablation treatments with minimally invasive fiber optic sensors.

Temperature mapping is a key asset in supporting the clinician during thermal ablation (TA) treatment of tumors without adding additional risk to the TA procedure. Herein we report our experiments on multidimensional thermal mapping during radio frequency (RF) thermal ablation treatments of an animal organ. The temperature was monitored using several arrays of fiber Bragg gratings properly positioned around the RF applicator.

Theoretical analysis and experimental evaluation of laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy in ex vivo porcine pancreas.

Laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy (LITT) has been recently applied to pancreas in animal models for ablation purpose. Assessment of thermal effects due to the laser-pancreatic tissue interaction is a critical factor in validating the procedure feasibility and safety. A mathematical model based on bioheat equation and its experimental assessment was developed.