The Use of Smart Textiles in the Healthcare Space: Towards an Improvement of the User-Patient Experience

This article explores the role of smart textiles in transforming healthcare environments into spaces that prioritize patient well-being. We will examine the advantages of smart textiles in healthcare settings, such as the real-time monitoring of vital signs through connected clothing. Additionally, we will introduce metadesign as a design approach that considers the interactions between users, healthcare environments, and technologies to create fulfilling experiences. By combining the advanced features of smart textiles with a patient-centered metadesign approach, it becomes possible to create care spaces that cater to patient needs. The objective of this article is to present the integration of metadesign in the design of smart textiles as a process aimed at enhancing the quality of the patient user experience. In this process, we will emphasize the collaborative approach and embrace technological innovation to harness the potential for ongoing improvement and provide users with high-quality experiences. Lastly, we will underscore the significance of adopting a multidimensional approach to evaluate the impact of smart textiles on the patient user experience.

Classification of Preparation Methods and Wearability of Smart Textiles

In recent years,smart textiles have attracted the attention of scholars from all walks of life,but there is an imbalance between functionality and usability,which affects their marketization process.Firstly,five representative smart textiles are introduced and their respective wearability is described around preparation methods.Secondly,it is concluded that the preparation methods of smart textiles can be divided into two categories:fiber methods and finishing methods.The fiber methods refer to making smart fibers into smart textiles.Textiles made by fiber methods are breathable and feel good in the hand,but the mechanical properties are influenced by the production equipment,and the process cost is high.The finishing methods refer to the functional finishing of ordinary textiles.Although the finishing method is simple and convenient,it may reduce the comfort of the textile.Finally,applications and new research in various fields of smart textiles are presented with promising prospects.It is anticipated that this review will serve as a theoretical basis for future research and development of smart textiles.Researchers are expected to create new technologies to overcome the tension between functionality and usability,as well as to increase user comfort and convenience.

Robust,Breathable and Flexible Smart Textiles as Multifunctional Sensor and Heater for Personal Health Management

Smart textiles with high sensitivity and rapid response for various external stimuli have gained tremendous attentions in human healthcare monitoring,personal heat management,and wearable electronics.However,the current smart textiles only acquire desired signal passively,regularly lacking subsequent on-demand therapy actively.Herein,a robust,breathable,and flexible smart textiles as multi-function sensor and wearable heater for human health monitoring and gentle thermotherapy in real time is constructed.The composite fiber as strain sensor(CFY@PU)was fabricated via warping carbon fiber yarns(CFY)onto polyurethane fibers(PU),which endowed composite fiber with high conductivity,excellent sensitivity(GF=76.2),and fantastic dynamic durability(7500 cycles)in strain sensing.In addition,CFY@PU can detect various degrees of human movements such as elbow bending,swallowing and pulse,which can provide effective information for disease diagnosis.More surprisingly,weaving CFY@PU into a fabric can assemble highly sensitive pressure sensor for remote communication and information encryption.Warping CFY onto Kevlar would obtain temperature-sensitive composite fiber(CFY@Kevlar)as temperature sensor and wearable heater for on-demand thermotherapy,which provided unique opportunities in designing smart textiles with ultrahigh sensitivity,rapid response,and great dynamic durability.

Techniques of the Smart Textile Utilization as Soilless Board in Vertical Cultivation

Vertical cultivation is the most important method in the future spatially in smart agriculture systems. The fourth different thickness soilless textile was used as the board to cultivate water-cress (Eruca Sativa). The vacuum pump model VRI V3 Dual Stage Vacuum Pump was constructed and used in the preliminary experimental test. It’s run to measure the water content and water absorption percentage for soilless board under lab conditions. Different tests were evaluated for the absorption sample after elapsed time 0.08, 0.17, 0.25, 5, 24 and 120 hours. Soilless board textile with thickness 32 mm, 26 mm, 21 mm and 16 mm made from the following material: woven fabric of Cotton. The four mattresses of smart textile as soilless vertical cultivation, measuring 40 cm width 60 cm length were created;it has filler from soft sawdust, a mixture of red (beech) and white (Swedish) wood. The result of preliminary test illustrated that the soilless board may be able to keep the amount of water for more than 72.3% after 5 days from edit water to soilless board. The soilless smart with 32 mm thickness gave highly growths of water-cress compared with the other smart mattress.

Eco-Friendly pH Indicator Based on Natural Anthocyanins from Lycium ruthenicum

An eco-friendly and visual pH indicator was developed based on cotton fabrics dyed with natural Lycium ruthenicum extract(LRE),whose color changed from red to purple,blue and green at pH of 2-10.Three methods for dyeing cotton fabrics with LRE were attempted,namely pre-mordanting,simultaneous mordanting,and post-mordanting methods with different dyeing temperatures,dyeing times and dyebath pH values.The cotton fabrics exhibited the highest K/S value when they were dyed under a dyebath of pH 6 at 20℃for 90 min in the case of the simultaneous mordanting method.Meanwhile,the dyed cotton fabrics also showed reversible pH-dependent color changes.The developed flexible pH indicator based on renewable natural materials is suitable for multiple applications in environmental monitoring and smart textiles.

Plastic‑Swelling Preparation of Functional Graphene Aerogel Fiber Textiles

Graphene aerogel fibers(GAFs)combine the advantages of lightweight,high specific strength and conductivity of graphene,showing great potential in multifunctional wearable textiles.However,the fabrication and application of GAF textiles are considerably limited by the low structural robustness of GAF.Here,we report a plastic-swelling method to fabricate GAF textiles with high performance and multi-functionalities.GAF textiles were achieved by plastic-swelling,the prewoven graphene oxide fiber(GOF)tow textiles.This near-solid plastic-swelling process allows GAFs in textiles to maintain high structural order and controllable density,and exhibit record-high tensile strength up to 103 MPa and electrical conductivity up to 1.06.104 S m−1 at the density of 0.4 g cm−3.GAF textiles exhibit high strength of 113 MPa,multiple electrical and thermal functions,and high porosity to serve as host materials for more functional guests.The plastic-swelling provides a general strategy to fabricate diverse aerogel fiber textiles,paving the road for their realistic application.

A Conceptual Design of an SMP Reinforced Knitted Spacer Structure for Ballistic Defense

A ballistic impact is a potential threat faced by military personnel in a battle-field,which includes fragmented munitions from explosive material.A wide array of material including woven structures,laminated structures and non-woven structures have been developed for protection against potential impacts.However,the kinetic energy of the bullet at the point of impact causes heat dissipation,which is an existing problem at hand when developing reinforcement material.Therefore,this research is focused on developing a conceptual model and design for a shape memory polymer reinforced knitted spacer structure,where the impact energy is to be absorbed by the polymeric yarn,when the thermal energy raises the temperature of the SMP above its glass transition temperature.A theoretical model has been developed to establish the fabric parameters of the structure to facilitate the purpose while,a comprehensive design methodology,including determining the SMPhas been introduced for the design of the ballistic protection structure.Additionally,a MATLAB simulation was conducted to model the relationship between thedissipated heat energy and the required fabric parameters.

Thermochromic Silks for Temperature Management and Dynamic Textile Displays

Silks have various advantages compared with synthetic polymer fibers,such as sustainability,mechanical properties,luster,as well as air and humidity permeability.However,the functionalization of silks has not yet been fully developed.Functionalization techniques that retain or even improve the sustainability of silk production are required.To this end,a low-cost,effective,and scalable strategy to produce TCSs by integrating yarn-spinning and continuous dip coating technique is developed herein.TCSs with extremely long length(>10 km),high mechanical performance(strength of 443.1 MPa,toughness of 56.0 MJ m−3,comparable with natural cocoon silk),and good interfacial bonding were developed.TCSs can be automatically woven into arbitrary fabrics,which feature super-hydrophobicity as well as rapid and programmable thermochromic responses with good cyclic performance:the response speed reached to one second and remained stable after hundreds of tests.Finally,applications of TCS fabrics in temperature management and dynamic textile displays are demonstrated,confirming their application potential in smart textiles,wearable devices,flexible displays,and human–machine interfaces.Moreover,combination of the fabrication and the demonstrated applications is expected to bridge the gap between lab research and industry and accelerate the commercialization of TCSs.

Twisted and coiled bamboo artificial muscles for moisture responsive torsional and tensile actuation

Smart textiles responding to the ambient environment like temperature,humidity,and light are highly desirable to improve the comfortability and realize multifunctions.The bamboo yarn has merits like air permeability,biodegradability,and excellent heat dissipation performance,but it has not been prepared for responsive materials and smart textiles.In this paper,the moisture-responsive twisted bamboo yarns were plied to form a self-balanced torsional actuator and wrapped around a mandrel to form a coil,followed by water immersion and evaporation to fix the shape and serve as a tensile actuator.A torsional actuation of 64.4°·mm^-1 was realized for the twisted actuator in 4.2 s;a maximum elongation of 133%or contraction of 50%was achieved for a coiled tensile actuator with good cyclability.The porous structure of bamboo yarns helped improve the water absorbance speed and decrease the response time of moisture.The self-balanced two-ply physical structure and reversible generation of chemical phase after soaking in aqueous solution fixed internal stress and provided good cyclability.With the unique properties including aqueous water-induced shape fixation and moisture-induced actuation,the application of tensile actuation of bamboo yarns was demonstrated,showing promising prospects on smart textiles.

Advances in Electrospun Nanofiber Yarns

In order to increase the application area of nanofibers,electrospun nanofiber yarns have drawn attention of many researchers around the globe.Once the production method of nanofiber yarn is mature enough to be universally accepted,many new gates of applications will open to the world.In this review,different electrospinning techniques of electrospun nanofiber yarns are divided into needle electrospinning and needleless electrospinning.Considering yarn twist as an important mechanism,needle electrospinning technique is further categorized into mechanical,electrical and field flow twisting methods.Moreover,parameters influencing the mechanical properties of electrospun nanofiber yarns are investigated.Methods of improving mechanical properties of nanofiber yarns are addressed,including hot-water-bath treatment,addition of carbon nanotubes(CNTs)and introducing regulators.Finally,applications of electrospun nanofiber yarns in different fields of smart textile and bioengineering are summed-up.In summary,challenges encountered in the industrialization of nanofiber yarns and future prospects are anticipated.

Three dimensional photovoltaic fibers for wearable energy harvesting and conversion

As the development of smart electronics, self-powered sources have been attracting increasing attention.This review summarizes research progress of photovoltaic fibers and their integrated power sources with multi-stage energy conversion. Recent development of three dimensional photovoltaic fibers is glanced with special attention to structure design and materials of typical photovoltaic types（inorganic, organic,dye/quantum dot sensitized and perovskite solar cells）. The application of carbon materials in fiber energy is focused as it is a hot topic recently. The hybrid energy systems based on fiber solar cells and fiber supercapacitors, fiber batteries and fiber nanogenerators are summarized together with hybrid energy textiles. This review provides a macroscopic view of novel energy fibers and will attract research interest in flexible/wearable fiber electronics and energy textiles.

Fabrication of High Toughness Silk Fibroin/Tungsten Disulfide Nanoparticles Hybrid Fiber and Self-Heating Textile by Wet Spinning|

Traditionally,silkworm silk has been used to make high-quality textiles.Nevertheless,various wastes from silk-worm silk textiles that are no longer used are increasing.which is also causing considerable waste and contam-ination.This issue is causing widespread concern in countries that use more silk.Regenerated silk fibroin(RSF)fibers have been shown to be fragile and tender,which prohibits RSF from being widely used as a structural com-ponent.Therefore,enriching the function of silk and enhancing the RSF mechanial properties are important directions to expand the comprehensive utilization of silk products.In the present research,wet spinning was used to create a series of RSF/tungsten disulfide(WS_(2))nanoparticles(NPs)hybrid fiber having distinct WS_(2) nanoparticles concentrations.It was discovered that the temperature of hybrid fibers containing 0.8 wt%RSF/WS_(2) nanoparticles might climb from 20.4℃ to 85.6℃in 1 min and 108.3℃ in 10 min after being exposed to simulated sunlight for a period of one minute and ten minutes.It also had certain antibacterial activity and thermal stability.Fabrics created by hand mixing had outst anding photothermal characteristics under natural sunlight.Further-more,adding WS_(2) nanoparticles might increase the tensile properties of hybrid fibers,which could be caused by the reality that the blending of WS_(2) nanoparticles inhibited the self-assembly of sheets in RSF reaction mixture in a dosage dependent way,as evidenced by the fact that RSF/WSz nanoparticles hybrid fibers had lesser β-sheets material,crystalline nature,and arystalline size.The above performance makes the RSF/WS_(2) nanoparticles hybrid fbers promising candidates for application in photothermal fabrics as well as military dothing.

Preparation of Color-Changing Textile with pH Indicators Produced by Sol-Gel Method

Smart textile was developed in this paper,which could change color according to the p H value, meanwhile keep the flexibility,breathability,light weight and large cover of textiles. In this study p H sensitive fabrics were prepared by sol-gel method with two common p H indicators methyl red( MR) and bromocresol green( BCG). The finished textiles present different halochromic behaviors with different dyeing methods. The oragic-inoragnic network,identified by Fourier transformed infrared spectrum( FTIR) and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance( NMR),plays a key role in holding stability against leaking,and the cell viability keeps pace with the leaking process. The interaction between the gel matrix and indicators depends on the charges and size of guest molecules.

Textile-Based Capacitive Pressure Distribution Measurement System for Human Sitting Posture Monitoring

Flexible pressure monitoring device can help correct the sitting posture and prevent health problems(e.g.,deformity of spinal column and musculoskeletal disease).Currently,most measurement systems hinder their wide applications owing to the high cost or low accuracy.In this study,a flexible sitting pressure measurement system was proposed based on a textile-based capacitive pressure sensor array in order to measure sitting pressure distribution simply and conveniently.The capacitive pressure sensor array is sandwich structure composed of a high-density sponge layer and two electrode array fabrics,which possesses high resolution(2.26 sensors/cm2),high sensitivity(0.701 kPa-1)and fast response(≤35 ms).It is worth noting that the raw materials of the sensing fabric include commercialized copper sheets and polyester yarns.The as-prepared pressure measurement system can accurately measure the pressure distribution nephogram for sitting posture analysis.The sitting pressure of 10 volunteers was measured and six types of posture were distinguished clearly.

Monitoring Biosignals with Low Cost Wearable Sensors

With the increase of aging population, we have been witnessing a decline in the quality of life influenced by numerous social, cultural and economic factors. Several studies have addressed these facts and some emerging technologies are capable of monitoring and anticipating these problems. With the advance in the development of smart textiles, it＇s possible to use these technologies in the acquisition of biosignals, which allows obtaining a better comfort regarding the use of smart clothes over traditional Ag/AgCI electrodes. In this way, it is possible to monitor for longer periods reducing the discomfort to the user. This paper reports the development of a low cost sensor with the capability of monitoring the electrical activity of the heart, measuring the heart rate and body temperature and is applied in the scenario： health ＆ wellbeing, targeting the continuous measurement of vital signs.

Electrochemical biosensors and power supplies for wearable health-managing textile systems

In recent years,wearable electrochemical biosensors have received increasing attention,benefiting from the growing demand for continuous monitoring for personalized medicine and point-of-care medical assistance.Incorporating electrochemical biosensing and corresponding power supply into everyday textiles could be a promising strategy for next-generation non-invasive and comfort interaction mode with healthcare.This review starts with the manufacturing and structural design of electrochemical biosensing textiles and discusses a series of wearable electrochemical biosensing textiles monitoring various biomarkers(e.g.,pH,electrolytes,metabolite,and cytokines)at the molecular level.The fiber-shaped or textile-based solar cells and aqueous batteries as corresponding energy harvesting and storage devices are further introduced as a complete power supply for electrochemical biosensing textiles.Finally,we discuss the challenges and prospects relating to sensing textile systems from wearability,durability,washability,sample collection and analysis,and clinical validation.

High‑Performance Fasciated Yarn Artificial Muscles Prepared by Hierarchical Structuring and Sheath-Core Coupling for Versatile Textile Actuators

High-performance yarn artificial muscles are highly desirable as miniature actuators,sensors,energy harvesters,and soft robotics.However,achieving a yarn artificial muscle that covers all the properties of excellent actuation performance,mechanical robustness,structural stability,and high scalability by a low-cost strategy is still a great challenge.Herein,a bio-inspired fasciated yarn structure is first reported for creating robust high-performance yarn artificial muscles.Unlike conventional strategies that leverage costly materials or complex processing,the developed yarn artificial muscles are constructed by hierarchically helical and sheath-core assembly design of cost-effective common fibers,such as viscose and polyester.The hierarchically helical sheath structure pushes the theoretical limit of the inserted twist in yarns and endows the yarn muscles with large stroke(5815°cm^(-1))and high work capacity(23.5 J kg^(-1)).Due to the rapid water transfer and efficient energy conversion of inter-sheath-core coupling,the as-prepared yarn muscles possess fast response,high rotation accelerated speed,and low recovery hysteresis.Moreover,the inactive core yarn serves as support for internal tethering and load-bearing,enabling these yarn muscles to maintain a self-stable structure,robust life cycle and mechanics.We show that the yarn muscle fabricated in this method is readily available and highly scalable for achieving high-dimensional actuation deformations,which considerably broadens the application scenarios of artificial muscles.

Dry Fiber‑Based Electrodes for Electrophysiology Applications

Long-term continuous health care monitoring,using wearable technologies has received considerable interest due to the significant contribution of wearables to the diagnosis of diseases and identification of health conditions.Fibers have been widely applied in human societies due to their unique advantages,including stretchability,small diameters,high dynamic bending elasticity,high length-to-width ratios,and mechanical strength.A new generation of fiber-based electrodes is being integrated into smart textiles and wearables for continuous long-term biosignal monitoring.Dry fiber-based electrodes are breathable,flexible,and durable,unlike conventional disposable gel electrodes,which are difficult to employ for long-term applications because of skin irritation and allergic responses caused by their moist and adhesive interface with the skin.In this review,we provide a concise summary of recent breakthroughs in the design,and manufacturing of dry fiber-based electrodes for electrophysiology applications,with a particular emphasis on applications in electrocardiography,electromyography,and electroencephalography.Focusing on numerous features of electroactive fiber materials,fiber processing,electrode fabrication,scaled-up manufacturing,standardization of testing and performance criteria,we discuss current limitations and provide an outlook for the future development of this field.

Perovskite Solar Fibers:Current Status,Issues and Challenges

Perovskite-based solar cells with high power conversion efficiencies(PCEs)are currently being demonstrated in solid-state device designs.Their elevated performances can possibly be attained with different non-standard geometries,for example,the fiber-shaped perovskite solar cells,in the light of careful design and engineering.Fiber-shaped solar cells are promising in smart textiles energy harvesting towards next-generation electronic applications and devices.They can be made with facile process and at low cost.Recently,fiber-shaped perovskite solar devices have been reported,particularly with the focus on the proof-of-concept in such non-traditional architectures.In this line,there are so many technical aspects which need to be addressed,if these photovoltaic(PV)cells are to be industrialized and produced massively.Herein,a well-organized and comprehensive discussion about the reported devices in this arena is presented.The challenges that need to be addressed,the possible solutions and the probable applications of these PV cells are also discussed.More still,the perovskite fiber-shaped PV cells with other fiber PV devices reported in literature in terms of their scope,characteristic designs,performances,and other technical considerations have been summarised.

Recent Progress of Functional Fiber and Textile Triboelectric Nanogenerators:Towards Electricity Power Generation and Intelligent Sensing

Rapid development in wearable electronics has brought huge convenience to human life and gradually penetrated into various indispensable felds,such as health monitoring,medical assistance,smart sports,object tracking and smart home,etc.However,the suitable energy supply system for these wearable electronics remains an important issue to address.Fiber and textile triboelectric nanogenerators(f/t-TENGs),capable of converting biomechanical energy into electricity,have promising features to act as a mobile sustainable power source for wearable electronics or directly serve as an intelligent self-powered sensing solution.Compared with the low-output piezoelectric nanogenerators,hard-to-wear electromagnetic generators and other bulk TENGs,the fber/textile TENG may be the best type of wearable human mechanical energy harvester at present.Herein,this review comprehensively introduces the recent progress of smart fbers and textiles with a highlight on triboelectric nanogenerators,including the general materials and structures of fber/textile shaped electronics,various fber and textile devices for triboelectric/triboelectric-integrated energy harvesting and self-powered smart sensing systems.Moreover,the advance of f/t-TENGs with multifunctionality and large-scale textile processing techniques is summarized as well.Finally,the challenges and perspectives of f/t-TENGs for future improvement,large-scale production and emerging applications are thoroughly discussed as well.