Communications of the ACM
Monitoring Patients sing Intelligent T-Shirts
The intelligent t-shirt is washable and includes a thermometer, an accelerometer, and electrodes that detect bioelectric power through which an electrocardiogram can be taken.
Credit: Courtesy of Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) researchers have developed an intelligent t-shirt that monitors human vital signs, such as body temperature and heart rate, and can locate patients within a hospital.
"The information gathered by an intelligent t-shirt using e-textile technology is sent, without using wires, to an information management system, which then shows the patient's location and vital signs in real time," according to the UC3M researchers.
The system, which consists of a fixed infrastructure that is pre-installed and mobile units that move with the patients, is designed to be used in hospitals and medical centers. The intelligent t-shirt is washable and includes electrodes that detect bioelectric power through which an electrocardiogram can be taken. The t-shirt also is equipped with a removable device that includes a thermometer and an accelerometer. The system was tested 24 hours a day, with five patients being monitored simultaneously.
The system is equipped with a series of alarms that are programmed to go off if certain body signs reach predetermined levels. In addition, the system can be applied to applications involving early diagnosis of cardiac anomalies or for telemedicine to monitor patients in their homes.
The information management system stores all of the patient's data for use in later studies.
From Universidad de Carlos III de Madrid
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