Vertical conductive textile traces and methods of knitting thereof

Abstract

A method for knitting a garment having a tubular form, including knitting at least one vertical conductive textile trace on a machine having N participating feeders and M needles. The method includes the steps of continuously knitting the tubular form with one or more flexible non-conductive base yarns, and knitting the vertical conductive textile trace integrally within the tubular form, using a conductive yarn, in addition to spandex yarns, but not the base yarns. The conductive yarn is knitted in a float-loop form by knitting a stitch and skipping over y needles, as follows: repeatably knitting a line segment L.sub.k, using feeder F.sub.i and starting at needle D.sub.1; and knitting line segment L.sub.k+1, using the next feeder and start stitching the first float-loop at needle D.sub.1+s where 0<s<y.

Claims

1. A knitted smart garment for monitoring a living being, the garment comprising: a) a sensing device for sensing an electrical vital signal of the monitored living being; b) a tubular form having a first multiplicity of knitted lines, wherein each said line is knitted with at least one flexible, non-conductive yarn; and c) at least one conductive vertical textile trace adapted to transmit said electrical vital signal vertically across conductive line segments to a target electric device, said at least one conductive vertical textile trace has a second multiplicity of vertically-aligned adjacent knitted line segments, wherein each of said knitted line segments is knitted within said knitted lines with at least one flexible, non-conductive yarn and a conductive yarn, and wherein each of said knitted line segments has a third multiplicity of float loops, wherein said third multiplicity of float loops is configured to provide the conductivity needed across said second multiplicity of knitted line segments, to further transmit a received electrical vital signal from said sensing device to said target electric device, wherein a first float loop in a first line segment of said knitted line segments begins in a given stitching position, and wherein an immediately-subsequent float loop in each subsequent said line segment is vertically aligned in a shifting position with respect to an immediately-preceding said line segment; wherein said shifting position is at least one needle position; and wherein said at least one conductive vertical textile trace is insulated from skin of the monitored living being.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein said electrical vital signal is a clinical-level ECG signal.

3. The garment of claim 1, wherein said target electric device is a processing unit.

4. The garment of claim 1, wherein said shifting position is less than half of the number of skipped needle positions of each said float loop.

5. The garment of claim 1, wherein said shifting position is adapted to create a suitable knitting density of said third multiplicity of float loops, and wherein said suitable knitting density is adapted to provide enhanced electrical conductivity, vertically, across said second multiplicity of knitted line segments.

6. The garment of claim 1, wherein said at least one conductive vertical textile trace is knitted with a density that is adapted to sustain good conductivity when said tubular form is stretched vertically.

7. The garment of claim 1, wherein said sensing device is an electrode.

8. The garment of claim 1, wherein said sensing device is a textile electrode.

9. A method for knitting a smart garment configured to monitor a living being, the method comprising the steps of: a) knitting a tubular form having a first multiplicity of knitted lines, and wherein each said line is knitted with at least one non-conductive yarn; and b) knitting at least one conductive vertical textile trace for transferring an electrical vital signal from a sensing device to a target electric device, wherein said at least one conductive vertical textile trace has: i. a second multiplicity of vertically-aligned adjacent knitted line segments, wherein each of said knitted line segments is knitted within said knitted lines with a non-conductive yarn and a conductive yarn; and ii. a third multiplicity of float loops, wherein said third multiplicity of float loops is configured to provide the conductivity needed, across said second multiplicity of knitted line segments, to further transmit a received electrical vital signal from said sensing device to said target electric device, wherein a first float loop in a first line segment of said knitted line segments begins in a given stitching position, and wherein an immediately-subsequent float loop in each subsequent said line segment is vertically aligned in a shifting position with respect to an immediately-preceding said line segment; wherein said shifting position is at least one needle position; and wherein said at least one conductive vertical textile trace is insulated from skin of the monitored living being.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said electrical vital signal is a clinical-level ECG signal.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said target electric device is a processing unit.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said shifting position is less than half the number of skipped needle positions of each said float loop.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said shifting position is adapted to create a suitable knitting density of said third multiplicity of float loops, and wherein said suitable knitting density is adapted to provide enhanced electrical conductivity across said second multiplicity of knitted line segments.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one conductive vertical textile trace is knitted with a density that is adapted to sustain good conductivity when said tubular form is stretched vertically.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said sensing device is an electrode.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said sensing device is a textile electrode.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will become fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of illustration and example only and thus not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1a is a schematic illustration of an exemplary garment, having a tubular form, wherein textile electrodes, according to embodiments of the present invention, are knitted therein.

(3) FIG. 1b depicts a front view of an exemplary garment, wherein the textile electrodes are designed to measure a 15-lead ECG signal.

(4) FIG. 1c depicts a side view of the garment shown in FIG. 1b.

(5) FIG. 2 is an example knitting scheme of a conductive electrode designed for a Santoni type knitting machine, according to embodiments of the present invention, wherein the float loop is made of a conductive yarn made of Nylon covered with silver, knitted together with covered Spandex and bare spandex, wherein the float-loops are knitted in a shifted float-loop design to improve the knitting density and pressure of the electrode on the body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided, so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

(7) An embodiment is an example or implementation of the inventions. The various appearances of one embodiment, an embodiment or some embodiments do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments. Although various features of the invention may be described in the context of a single embodiment, the features may also be provided separately or in any suitable combination. Conversely, although the invention may be described herein in the context of separate embodiments for clarity, the invention may also be implemented in a single embodiment.

(8) Reference in the specification to one embodiment, an embodiment, some embodiments, another embodiment or other embodiments means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the inventions. It is understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is not to be construed as limiting and are for descriptive purpose only.

(9) Methods of the present invention may be implemented by performing or completing manually, automatically, or a combination thereof, selected steps or tasks. The term method refers to manners, means, techniques and procedures for accomplishing a given task including, but not limited to, those manners, means, techniques and procedures either known to, or readily developed from known manners, means, techniques and procedures by practitioners of the art to which the invention belongs. The descriptions, examples, methods and materials presented in the claims and the specification are not to be construed as limiting but rather as illustrative only.

(10) It should be noted that orientation related descriptions such as bottom, up, horizontal, vertical, lower, top and the like, assumes that the is worn by a person being in a standing position.

(11) Meanings of technical and scientific terms used herein are to be commonly understood as to which the invention belongs, unless otherwise defined. The present invention can be implemented in the testing or practice with methods and materials equivalent or similar to those described herein.

(12) FIG. 1a is a schematic illustration of an exemplary knitted smart garment 20, according to embodiments of the present invention, having knitted dry textile electrodes 100, wherein typically, textile electrodes 100 are interconnect with a processor 120 by conductive means 110. Smart garment 20 is knitted, with no limitations, on a circular seamless knitting machine, such as a Santoni knitting machine. The fabric can be knitted, with no limitations, on a 24 gauge or 28 gauge machine (number of needles per inch) and in a wide range of diameters such as 17, 18 and 20, according to the final size and dimensions of the finished garment product. FIG. 1b depicts a front view of an exemplary garment 20, wherein the textile electrodes 100 are designed to measure a 15-lead ECG signal; and FIG. 1c depicts a side view of the garment shown in FIG. 1b.

(13) In one example embodiment, with no limitations, the fabric is knitted with Nylon, bare Spandex and covered spandex. In another example embodiment, the fabric is knitted using Nylon and covered spandex. In one example embodiment, with no limitations, the conductive yarn used to knit the conductive traces 110 is Nylon coated with Silver by Xstatic.

(14) It should mention that such a garment can be knitted with any type of Nylon yarn textured or flat, selected types of Nylons, Polyester, Acetate, manmade fibers, natural yarns like cotton, bamboo, wool, and blends of the mentioned raw materials. Selection of yarn is also based on fabric weight, body size for men and women, fabric weight and design required.

(15) It is also to be mentioned that such a garment can be knitted on any given machine gauge or diameter based on the fabric weight, size, and design required.

(16) The thickness (Den or Dtex) of the basic yarns to knit the garment and type of Spandex yarn used should be in line with the machine gauge and type of fabric requested.

(17) It should be noted that the term ECG signals, as used herein, refers the any physiological signals of the monitored living being, including signals for ECG analysis.

(18) The knitted electrodes are located in the selected areas on the fabric based on the desired ECG signals efficiency. Each electrode is connected to conductive lead wire (trace) 110 which preferably, is knitted with same conductive yarn of the electrodes 100. The knitted conductive leads 110 are delivering the ECG signals sensed by the knitted electrodes to a specific area on the garment, were all the conductive leads are gathering to deliver the signals to the ECG processing device 120.

(19) The conductive lead wire (trace) 110 are knitted to form float loops made of the conductive yarns (for example, 70/2 Den by Xstatic), which are designed to float over the fabric surface in the number of needles as designed. The length of the float loop is determines by the number of needles the loop if floating over.

(20) As described in this invention the length of the float loops, as well as the specific knitting density in the conductive traces 110 area, and in selected areas in the basic garment, is determined by the desired quality level of ECG signals.

(21) In this invention the use of float loops in a shifted needle knitting scheme, together with unique digital knitting density control, enables achieving good conductivity across knitting courses.

(22) The conductive lead wires 110 are knitted together in same knitting process of knitting the basic garment and preferably, with no limitations, same knitting process of the electrodes, and coming out the machine as one single unit of a tubular form. FIG. 2 describes an example knitting method 200 of producing a float-loop conductive trace 110, according to embodiments of the present invention. The conductive trace 110 is fabricated on a Santoni type knitting machine, wherein the float loop is made of a conductive yarn made of Nylon covered with silver, knitted together with covered Spandex and bare spandex, wherein the float-loops are knitted in a shifted float-loop design to improve the knitting density and thereby improve conductivity.

(23) FIG. 2 schematically illustrating example knitting scheme 400 of a float-loop conductive trace 110, designed for a 4 (four) feeds system, but using in the example, with no limitations, an 8 feed Santoni type knitting machine, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

(24) In this embodiment, in all the knitting courses, the float loops that are formed from a conductive yarn 60 (such as Xstatic), that float over 2 needles, as can be seen and appreciated by a person skilled in the art in FIG. 2, while the non-conductive covered (or bared) spandex 50 (or 52) is knitted continuously in the same knitted course. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the base-yarn of the garment does not participate in the knitting of the float-loop conductive trace 110.

(25) In the example shown in FIG. 2, only four out of eight available feeders are used: feeders 1, 3, 5 and 7 are not used while feeders 2, 4, 6 and 8 are used. The same knitting scheme 440 is used in all courses. However, the float-loop stitch starting needle D.sub.j in Feeder i+2 is shifted by s4 needles with respect to the float-loop stitch starting needle in Feeder i. In the example shown in FIG. 4, s4=1.

(26) The present invention is not limited to the knitting parameters shown in the examples as illustrated in FIG. 2 and corresponding description in the specifications. The examples as illustrated in FIG. 2 exemplifies methods for knitting a garment 20 having a tubular form, including knitting at least one float-loop conductive trace 110 electrically connecting an electrode such as conductive textile electrode 100, to a processing unit 120.

(27) In one embodiment the method includes continuously knitting a tubular form 20 with a flexible non-conductive yarn 50 and/or 52, knitting the at least one float-loop conductive trace 110 integrally within tubular form 20, using a conductive yarn 60, in addition to a spandex yarn. The conductive yarn 60 is knitted in a float-loop form by knitting a stitch and then skipping over y needles, as follows: i) knitting a course k, being a line segment L.sub.k, using feeder F.sub.i and starting at needle D.sub.j, wherein the next float-loop starting stitch is at y needles away from the starting stitch needle of the previous float-loop; ii) knitting line segment L.sub.k+1, using the next participating feeder and starting stitching the first float-loop with needle D.sub.j+s, where 0<s<y and typically, j=1; and iii) repeat steps (i) and (ii) for a preconfigured length of the tubular form 20, i.e. a preconfigured number of knitting courses.

(28) It should be noted that each line segment has a preconfigured length.

(29) It should be further noted that a preconfigured number of feeders of the knitting machine participate in the knitting process of the garment.

(30) It should be further noted that vertical conductive traces 110 can be knitted with various conductive yarn dtex and various number of filaments and on various gauge knitting machines.

(31) It should be further noted that vertical conductive traces 110 can be knitted also in a diagonal form, when needed.

(32) The invention being thus described in terms of embodiments and examples, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.