Yarn-woven textiles are employed in remote medical diagnosis using clever electronic sensor technology. However, one of the quintessential issues is the generation of inconsistent signals. A study inspired by the structure of DNA discovered that fabrics woven with a double helix structure could help solve the problem mentioned above. The team has also created a bendable piezoresistive sensor for detecting human pulses. The sensor could revolutionize Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor Marketas it responds rapidly, quickly recovers after being pressed, and its signal is stable. The team anticipates introducing the sensor into the expanding medical and healthcare sector.
Textile-based sensors have numerous advantages, including flexibility, stretchability, and breathability. Thus they can be used to create flexible piezoresistive sensors. However, textile sensors exhibit hysteresis, which means they are difficult to recover from once they have changed shape. Furthermore, because the signals produced from generic textile sensors are inconsistent, the resulting measurements are frequently non-repeatable, limiting their usefulness.
A traditional approach to addressing hysteresis is incorporating elastic polymers into the textile. Instead, the team began with the yarn's structure. This method masterfully bends two pieces of yarn into one, resulting in a stable bonding force between the two pieces of yarn. Hence, the fabric will not fall loose and may swiftly recover when distorted.
The team's textile-based flexible piezoresistive sensor is made up of five layers. The fabric in the middle layer was woven from yarn with a double helix structure and was placed on an electrode layer and a polyimide (PI) substrate. The three layers were then sealed with gel, and the top surface was covered with a layer of polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) film.
Experiments by the team confirmed that the textile-based flexible piezoresistive sensor could detect epidermal pulses on the neck and wrist. When the textile-based adjustable piezoresistive sensor is turned on, the fabric on the electrode layer is distorted by epidermal pulse beats, generating resistance. It then creates distinct signals dependent on the pulse change. In addition, the wrist pulse signals examined before and after exercise differ. Furthermore, the wrist pulse signals recorded from ordinary women and males diagnosed with sinus bradycardia differed significantly.