Wearable electronics have started to become a popular choice for several consumers. Moreover, it has started to establish its roots not only in the consumer market but also in medical devices. Many expect these devices to become even more desirable in the coming decade. This is because of their ability to track an individual’s athletic performance, helping them better their lifestyle choices. Besides, they can also monitor one’s surrounding and their health parameters. However, the biggest problem that is encountered in relation to these devices is that they are generally made up of toxic materials and not environment friendly.
Recently, Scientists have brought forward a solution to this problem. They have created electronic textiles that are extremely simplistic in nature. This can be considered to be a significant breakthrough in the
Wearable Medical Devices Market as these newly developed textiles have the ability to be manufactured with traditional methods. This will help in the reduction of e-waste and make wearable devices much more environmentally friendly than before.
The invention is primarily based on cellulose thread. These threads are conductive and are capable of getting sewed into fabric through typical sewing machines present in households. The most significant advantage of using cellulose threads is that they are thermoelectric. This denotes that they can produce a meagre amount of electricity if they are heated on one side. The human body can easily provide this heat. Thus, this fabric can harness around 0.2 microwatts of electricity, giving it the ability to be used as a medical sensor.
Generally, cellulose isn’t considered to be conductive. So, scientists had to dye it with an electrically conductive material. As a consequence, it achieved record-high conductivity. Researchers believe that it can be further improved if silver nanowires are used.
Cellulose might become the laying foundation of wearable electronics after this creation. These materials are admirable as they are green, biodegradable as well as easy to recycle. They might also come to serve as a circuit board for some gadgets, specifically medical wearables. The material is set to gradually become even more popular as time passes. Usage of it makes the recycling process much easier and effective.
Researchers revealed that the fundamental problem with wearable devices is that they grow old quickly and need to be replaced, in turn producing a lot of e-waste. Hence, the up and coming natural fabrics might contribute towards the reduction of the augmenting environmental impact caused by the devices.