Whether jackets and pants are comfortable to wear and release body heat effectively is now predictable thanks to virtual modeling. Empa scientist Agnes Psikuta and her team from the "Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles" lab in St. Gallen have developed software that takes into account fabric characteristics, the body physique and insulating air cushions between skin and clothing. "Using an anatomically customizable avatar, it is possible to simulate how an item of clothing fits perfectly on the body and what thermal effects it has, even when the person is moving," explains Psikuta. Thus, a design for a suit can be optimized on the avatar before it is sewn from actual fabric.
Other high-tech garments are also ideal for use in state-of-the-art medicine. For instance, even when we are seemingly immobile, say, when we sleep, numerous muscles are active: The heart beats ceaselessly, and the chest rises and falls. But how does the heart beat during sleep? And does our breathing pause, or does it flow calmly and steadily through the night? Empa researchers have developed a cardio belt, which, thanks to embroidered electrodes, can register heart activity throughout the night. Using the Empa plasma coating facility, nanometer-thin metallic layers were applied to the threads, making them conductive, skin-friendly and washable. The flexible measuring device is used, for example, for people who suffer from respiratory arrest during sleep, so-called sleep apnea. Further clinical applications of the sensor belt are currently being developed with partners from industry and the medical sector. For example, the ECG belt – complemented by sensor technology for measuring body temperature – is intended to support the diagnosis of dementia such as Alzheimer’s, since the long-term measurement of vital parameters can provide information on cognitive performance.
Together with researchers from the Université de Haute-Alsace in Mulhouse, Empa researchers are also working on equipping textiles with additional sensors. In this way, the range of applications in medicine and sports and the wear comfort can be extended even further. "We will equip a piece of clothing, such as a T-shirt, with sensors for the analysis of various health parameters," says Simon Annaheim. The core element for the measurement of other parameters such as respiratory rate or oxygen saturation are optical polymer fibers produced by melt spinning.
Since the micro-design of textile fibers can be precisely controlled by various spinning processes, Empa researchers are also developing membranes that resemble biological tissues. For example, polymer membranes made of highly elastic core-sheath fibers are colonized with human cells so that a multi-layered, functional tissue can grow. This research is part of the "Zurich Heart" project, on which Empa is working together with the University of Zurich, ETH Zurich and Zurich University Hospital. The "living" membranes are intended to line the inner surface of artificial heart pumps as “camouflage”, so that the body can better tolerate the device and malfunctions can be avoided.
COMPAMED-tradefair.com; Source: Empa
