Prof. Tao Xiao-ming (left) has developed the wearable O-breath system
Prof. Tao Xiao-ming, Head and Chair Professor of Textile Technology at the Institute of Textiles and Clothing, has developed a device called O-breath, which accurately monitors vital signs in clinical settings, including Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMRI) rooms, without interfering with medical equipment.
O-breath is a wearable photonic strain sensing system comprising a textile belt integrated with polymeric optical fibre sensors, and is designed to detect repeated large deformations.
The Central fabric-based strain sensor consists of three essential components, namely, an elastic textile fabric, a series of looped polymer optical fibres, on which specially designed v-grooves are made by laser cutting, and a unique joint structure that facilitates the deformation mode required by the v-groove optical fibres. The light transmission power of the integrated polymer optical fibre is measured during deformation.
The O-breath fabric optical sensing device is immune to electromagnetic interference. It features a maximum working range up to 30% strain and a high degree of repeatability and low degree of hysteresis, which makes it ideal for use in such applications as NMRI and underwater respiration-rate monitoring. It also has great potential for applications in wearable electronics, robotics, healthcare and industrial engineering.
This novel device won a Silver Medal at the 62nd International Trade Fair Ideas – Inventions – New Products in Nuremberg, Germany.
This article was first appeared on the PolyU Milestone, June 2011 Edition
Parts of the System
