It has been surveyed and projected by MarketsAndMarkets that the healthcare solution market will reach US $ 46.6 billion in 2025. The market today is dominated by healthcare gadgets (hard goods), while e-textile-based medical systems and smart clothing are gaining gradual acceptance across the world. This can be comprehended from the survey results furnished by IDTechEx since 2017. The analysed data from 2017 to 2021 can be found in my post on the LinkedIn page.
Healthcare wearable market
A smart wearable device is categorised in two ways – one as medical grade only if certified by FDA, and the second is categorised as consumer-grade product. This adds challenges to the growth and popularity of these devices in the healthcare market. The vitals captured through a consumer-grade product need to be cross verified and correlated with vitals captured by medical-grade devices and the former can only be used for preliminary monitoring. There do exist few products in the market prepared out of E-textile enabled wearables for healthcare usage, which have been approved by FDA.
Few of the products offered in healthcare related e-textile enabled wearables include Skiin product range by Myant, SimpleSense from Nanowear, Sports Bra and Undershirt from Emglare, smart socks from Sensoria, smart T-shirt from Xiaomi, QNanotech gloves from Quantic Nanotech among many others. BellyBand developed at Drexel University is amongst the few currently seeing further developments in the laboratories before being commercialised. So as learnt from the product range, they mainly consist of patient gowns, vests, fitted caps, gloves, brassieres, briefs, T-shirts, etc.
Also Read: E-Textiles: Building blocks for Smart Garments
SimpleSense device and User Interface
SimpleSense device is a non-invasive wearable which utilises a textile-based nanosensor technology. The garment is designed for easy donning and doffing. This device captures parametric data namely two channels of ECG and thoracic impedance, heart sounds near the apex of the heart, activity and posture. These data are combined with demographics data for prediction of the heart functioning. The data captured during product development are used for training, validation and testing and later used for prediction of situations requiring medical attention, through Machine Learning (Artificial neural network in specific). The technology utilised in this device has cleared the FDA certification step. However, the role of textiles in this product is minimal and may be categorised accordingly under first generation products as discussed in the prior article of the series. Similar manner Cardiogram T-shirt by Xiaomi is capable of capturing ECG signals of the wearer along with the heart rate and communicating it through mobile app which is connected via bluetooth. It is made up of an innovative fibre trademarked as Cotech, which has the ability to non-inductively capture the microcurrents from the human body. It is also integrated with a lighting alert to alarm the user about unsafe range of heart rate values.
ECG captured by Xiaomi ‘s Cardiogram Shirt and depicted through mobile app
Sports Bra by Emglare is yet another product to capture ECG signals and heart rate, which claims to be the first-of-its-kind owing to all electronics integrated in the clothing (not required to be removed and inserted back) including the power source, sensors and switches, with a 100 per cent polyester fibre content along with conductive yarns at locations selectively required. Washing instructions are similar to any conventional delicate textiles. Capturing of vital is triggered as soon as one puts on the Bra and need not manually switch it off or on. It is priced at US $ 249 on the official website of Emglare. They come in various sizes like conventional brassieres. Emglare offers a similar solution for men: a vest (undershirt) which works on the same principle.
Also Read: E-textile enabled smart garment manufacturers: A glimpse
Schematic representation of embedded electronics in the Emglare Sports Bra
In similar manner, Smart Socks from Senoria enables improving speed, pace and cadence of an amateur athlete. It also helps prevent injuries. They are integrated with textile based pressure sensors which monitor foot landing technique while running. It provides a heat-map through a bluetooth enabled mobile application. This way it also enables a runner to compare his shoes and its performance objectively. This product was awarded as Best New Wearable Technology Device by IDTechEx.
Smart Shirt developed by Myant under its SKIIN range monitors blood pressure. The important feature of the product is that it is washable and allows 24X7 continuous monitoring along with automatic data tracking. The majority of Myant’s Skiin product range are knitted using E-textile to embed them with sensors and actuators to impart the wearable with the ability to sense and react to the human body. Myant Inc., Ontario, CA is in the process of developing a rehabilitation solution which will utilise sensors and actutors knitted in textile and data captured to be analysed through the Machine Learning platform of Myant Inc. The data analysed will enable flagging serious deviation from baseline and alarm the care provider to initiate the therapy required. The platform will also keep the closed ones connected through this wearable who would remotely be able to connect with the individual.
Also Read: Smart Textiles and Wearables… The Future of Clothing!
Myant platform and ecosystem
Well, that’s the brighter side of the story. By the time you come to the end of this feature, you yourself would have realised the minimal role of textiles in these commercially existing products. As we learn more about products for similar applications with increased contribution of e-textiles in them, they end up existing in the research Labs and are yet to be commercialised. Let us hope we will soon get to see BellyBand, flexible knitted wearable sensors and other similar healthcare products spin off the labs and get launched in the market!!!
