Wearable Loop Sensors for Knee Flexion Monitoring: Dynamic Measurements on Human Subjects.

We have recently introduced a new class of wearable loop sensors for joint flexion monitoring that overcomes limitations in the state-of-the-art. Our previous studies reported a proof-of-concept on a cylindrical phantom limb, under static scenarios and with a rigid sensor. In this work, we evaluate our sensors, for the first time, on human subjects, under dynamic scenarios, using a flexible textile-based prototype tethered to a network analyzer.

Modeling Fabric Movement for Future E-Textile Sensors.

Studies with e-textile sensors embedded in garments are typically performed on static and controlled phantom models that do not reflect the dynamic nature of wearables. Instead, our objective was to understand the noise e-textile sensors would experience during real-world scenarios. Three types of sleeves, made of loose, tight, and stretchy fabrics, were applied to a phantom arm, and the corresponding fabric movement was measured in three dimensions using physical markers and image-processing software.

Wrap-Around Wearable Coils for Seamless Monitoring of Joint Flexion.

Objective: We introduce and validate a new class of wearable coils that seamlessly monitor joint flexion in the individual's natural environment while overcoming shortcomings in state-of-the-art.

Methods: Our approach relies on Faraday's law of induction and employs wrap-around transmit and receive coils that get angularly misaligned as the joint flexes.

Results: Simulation and in vitro measurement results for both copper and e-thread coils are in excellent agreement.