Scientists have created a smart t-shirt that monitors the wearer’s respiratory rate in real time, without the help of any wires or sensors. The innovation paves the way for manufacturing clothing that could be used to diagnose respiratory illnesses or monitor people suffering from asthma, sleep apnea or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Created at Universities Laval in Canada, the t-shirt has an antenna sewn in at chest level that is made of a hollow optical fibre coated with a thin layer of silver on its inner surface. The fibre’s exterior surface is covered in a protective polymer. As the wearer breathes in, the smart fibre senses the increase in both thorax circumference and the volume of air in the lungs. The data is then sent to the user’s smartphone or a nearby computer.
To assess the durability of the invention, the researchers washed the t-shirt, and found that after 20 washes, the antenna withstood water and detergent and was still in good working condition.
Picture Credit : Google