ELASTIC CONDUCTIVE STRIPE AND METHODS OF UTILIZING THEREOF

Abstract

According to the teachings of the present invention there is provided a knitted smart garment. The garment includes a tubular form having variable elasticity and at least one conductive textile electrode for sensing an electrical vital signal, such as a clinical-level ECG signal. The garment further includes at least one elastic and loose conductive stripe, having a first end and a second end. The first end of the at least one conductive stripe is securely attached to a respective conductive textile electrode, and the second end of the at least one conductive stripe is operatively connected with a processor. The elasticity and looseness of the at least one conductive stripe is configured to prevent a pulling force from being applied to the respective conductive textile electrode, when the garment is stretched.

Claims

1. A knitted smart garment, the garment comprising: a) a tubular form having a preconfigured elasticity; b) at least one conductive textile electrode for sensing an electrical vital signal; and c) at least one elastic conductive stripe, having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of each said conductive stripe is securely and conductively attached to a respective said conductive textile electrode, and said second end of said at least one conductive stripe is operatively connected to a processor; and wherein said elasticity of each said at least one conductive stripe is configured to prevent a pulling force from being applied to said respective conductive textile electrode, when said garment is stretched.

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 at least one conductive stripe is insulated by insulation means.

4. The garment of claim 1, wherein said at least one conductive stripe movements are restricted by motion restricting means, wherein said motion restricting means are selected from a group of motion restricting means including sleeves (170) and sawn-in threads that are sawn over said at least one conductive stripe, and wherein said motion restricting means are securely attached to said garment.

5. The garment of claim 4, wherein said motion restricting means are securely attached to the external side of said garment.

6. The garment of claim 3, wherein said insulation means are selected from the group including at least one insulating adhered stripe (110), sleeves (170), non-conductive coating and non-conductive textile material that is knitted, weaved, braided or covered on the respective at least one conductive stripe.

7. The garment of claim 3, wherein said insulation means are designed not to reduce the conductivity of the respective said at least one conductive stripe.

8. The garment of claim 3, wherein said insulation means are designed not to reduce the elasticity of the respective said at least one conductive stripe.

9. The garment of claim 3, wherein said at least one conductive stripe is at least partially loose inside said insulation means.

10. The garment of claim 1, wherein said at least one conductive stripe is made of yarns selected form a group of yarns including manmade yarns, synthetic yarns and metallic yarns, or a combination thereof.

11. The garment of claim 1, wherein said second end of said at least one conductive stripe is securely attached to a connector.

12. The garment of claim 1, wherein said second end of said at least one conductive stripe is securely attached to a docking station.

13. The garment of claim 1 further comprising a zipper, wherein said zipper is situated between said at least one textile electrode and a docking station, wherein said at least one conductive stripe passes through the continuous section of the garment, without crossing said zipper, and wherein said second end of said respective at least one conductive stripe or knitted line-trace is securely attached to said docking station.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] 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:

[0037] FIG. 1 (prior art) depicts an open smart garment, having multiple textile electrodes integrally knitted therein, wherein the smart garment is configured to receive a processing unit.

[0038] FIG. 2a (prior art) is a schematic illustration of an exemplary garment, having a tubular form, wherein textile electrodes are knitted therein.

[0039] FIG. 2b (prior art) depicts a front view of an exemplary garment, wherein the textile electrodes are designed to measure a 15-lead ECG signal.

[0040] FIG. 3a depicts segments of a number of conductive stripes, according to embodiments of the present invention, wherein the conductive stripes are covered by an insulating tube, showing an open end of the conductive stripes.

[0041] FIG. 3b depicts segments of a number of conductive stripes, as in FIG. 3a, showing the other end of the conductive stripes, which, in the shown example, are connected to an HDMI connector.

[0042] FIG. 4 illustrates an example smart garment, having multiple textile electrodes integrally knitted therein, wherein the conductive stripes are configured to transfer the sensed electrical signals from the textile electrodes to a processing unit configured to collect the sensed data, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 5 illustrates an example method of securely connecting a conductive stripe to a respective textile electrode, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0044] FIGS. 6a and 6b illustrate example smart garments, having multiple textile electrodes connected to conductive stripes, wherein insulating sleeves are used to insulate the conductive stripes from being electrically shortened by an adjacent conductive stripe and/or the user's skin, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0045] FIGS. 6c and 6d depict another example garment, according to the methods shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b. FIG. 6c, illustrating the internal side of garment the garment, having multiple textile electrodes connected to respective conductive stripes.

[0046] FIG. 7 illustrates an example smart garment, having multiple textile electrodes connected to conductive stripes, wherein a lining is used to insulate the conductive stripes from being electrically shortened by the user's skin, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0047] FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary garment having a tubular form and being an undershirt having a zipper in the front side, wherein textile electrodes are knitted therein.

[0048] FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration the exemplary garment shown in FIG. 8, wherein the zipper is unzipped and the garment in a spread, unfolded form.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] A principle intention of the present invention is to connect textile electrodes to a signal receiving unit by an elastic and loose conductive stripe, such that the conductive stripe does not apply pulling forces or applies minimal pulling forces on the textile electrode securely connected thereto. Thereby, during motion, the textile electrode remains stably in position with respect to the skin of the user, while the signals, such as ECG signals, transfer to a receiving unit such as a docking station.

[0056] FIG. 3a depicts segments of a number of conductive stripes 100 that are covered by an insulating tube 102, showing an open end of conductive stripes 100. FIG. 3b depicts segments of a number of conductive stripes 100, showing the other end of conductive stripes 100, which in the shown example, with no limitation, are connected to an HDMI connector 80. Insulating tube 102 is elastic and does not limit the elasticity of conductive stripe 100.

[0057] Conductive stripes 100 can be made by knitting, weaving, braiding, or any other textile method which can combine both conductivity and elasticity. The good conductivity of conductive stripes 100 should prevail when using any type of basic fabric yarns to make the smart garment (such as manmade yarns, synthetic yarns, metallic yarns, etc.).

[0058] Conductive stripes 100 must be insulated to prevent electrical shorting among the stripes, while wearing and moving and to prevent conductive stripes 100 from being electrically shortened by the user's skin, by neighboring conductive stripes 100 or neighboring textile electrode 50.

[0059] The insulation can be done by knitting, weaving, braiding, and covering, using any non-conductive textile material, natural or synthetic yarns.

[0060] The insulation should not reduce the conductivity and the elasticity properties of conductive stripes 100.

[0061] Conductive stripes 100 are positioned in a preconfigured configuration along the shirt to facilitate the stripes to stretch while wearing.

[0062] In one embodiment of the present invention, the insulation of conductive stripes 100 is done after the braiding process, using Spandex yarn covered with Nylon yarn.

[0063] In one embodiment of the present invention, conductive stripes 100 are made of braided conductive yarns (for example, with no limitations, conductive yarns that are manufactured by XSTATIC) together with spandex yarns, in order to reach the right level of elasticity. However, conductive stripes 100 may be made using any other conductive materials such as stainless steel yarns, cooper yarns and any other combination of conductive yarns), provided that the of conductive stripes 100 is similar to the local elasticity of the smart garment.

[0064] The basic yarns to knit the smart garment and the type of Spandex yarn used should be in line with the machine gauge and type of fabric requested.

[0065] The quantity of conductive yarn ends (threads), elastic yarn ends, and the thickness (Den or Dtex) of the yarns in the braided stripe are determined by the level of conductivity and elasticity required for a particular smart garment.

[0066] Reference is made to the drawings. FIG. 4 illustrates an example smart garment 22, having multiple textile electrodes 50 integrally knitted therein, wherein conductive stripes 100 are securely connected to respective textile electrodes 50, according to some embodiments of the present invention, facilitating the transfer of the sensed electrical signals from textile electrodes 50 to a target receiving unit such as a processing unit or a docking station 72. FIG. 5 illustrates an example method of securely connecting a conductive stripe 100 to a respective textile electrode 50, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0067] Smart garment 22, as shown by way of example only, with no limitations, as a knitted ECG shirt having 13 knitted electrodes (to all shown) at preconfigured locations on the shirt. Each of the knitted electrodes detects an ECG signal that is transferred to the receiving unit.

[0068] Each elastic conductive stripe 100 of smart garment 22 is attached to smart garment 22 at least three at points: securely attached to textile electrode 50, securely attached or passed through individual loops formed by a respective insulating adhered stripe 110, generally at middle area of smart garment 22, and securely connected to the receiving unit the a respective location, being, in the example shown in FIG. 2, a respective snap 74 of docking station 72.

[0069] Elastic conductive stripes 100 are attached to smart garment 22 leaving enough free length hanging loosely between points to allow the garment fabric to stretch during wear without pulling the respective textile electrode 50.

[0070] The mechanical attachment of elastic conductive stripe 100 to textile electrode 50 must ensure the smooth and efficient transfer of the clinical level ECG signal from the textile electrode 50 to the respective conductive stripe 100. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, conductive stripe 100 is sawn (140) to the respective textile electrode 50 at lingula 150. Conductive stripe 100 may also be attached to the respective textile electrode 50 by lamination (adhesion) or by heat press. The attachment means does not reduce the conductivity of either the textile electrode 50 or the respective conductive stripe 100.

[0071] It should be noted that conductive stripes 100 may be attached to the shirt at the inner or the outer sides of smart garment 22.

[0072] In some other embodiments of the present invention, each individual insulated conductive stripe 100 is inserted into a respective elastic sleeve which is securely attached to the fabric of the smart garment, for example by lamination. Reference is made to FIGS. 6a and 6b, depicting example methods of securely connecting a conductive stripe 100 to a respective textile electrode 50, according to other embodiments shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6b, illustrates an example smart garments 26 and 27 (which garment 27 includes a zipper), having multiple textile electrodes 50 connected to conductive stripes 100, wherein insulating sleeves 170 are used to insulate conductive stripes 100 from being electrically shortened by an adjacent conductive stripe and/or the user's skin.

[0073] All conductive stripes 100 are inserted into respective sleeves 170, wherein one end of the elastic conductive stripe 100 is securely connected, for example by sewing, to a textile electrodes 50 and the other end of conductive stripe 100 is securely connected to a receiving unit, such as a docking station 72.

[0074] The usage of a laminated sleeve 170 for each of the conductive stripes 100, eliminates the usage of lining 160 to cover all conductive stripes 100, and keeps each conductive stripe 100 in a preconfigured path along the fabric of the smart garment (26 and 27).

[0075] FIGS. 6c and 6d depict another example garment 28, according to the methods shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b. FIG. 6c, illustrates the internal side (i.e., the skin side) of garment 28 (which garment 28 is a ladies garment that includes a zipper), having multiple textile electrodes 50 connected to respective conductive stripes 100, wherein insulating sleeves 170 are used to insulate conductive stripes 100 from being electrically shortened by an adjacent conductive stripe and/or the user's skin FIG. 6d illustrates the external side of garment 28 showing the protrusions 100 formed by the sawn-in (on the internal side of garment 28) conductive stripes 100.

[0076] Reference is now also made to FIG. 7, showing an example smart garment 24, having multiple textile electrodes 50 connected to conductive stripes 100, wherein a lining 160 at the inner side of smart garment 24, wherein lining 160 is used to insulate conductive stripes 100 from being electrically shortened by the user's skin, according to some embodiments of the present invention Lining 160 facilitates each conductive stripe 100 to reach the right location 74 (see FIG. 4) at docking station 72.

[0077] Reference in now made to FIG. 8, a schematic illustration of an exemplary garment 220 having a tubular form, the garment being an undershirt having a zipper 290 in the front side, wherein textile electrodes 50 are knitted therein and are individually operatively connected to processing unit 70. However, some electrodes, such as textile electrodes 50R, may require crossing zipper 290. To overcome the problem conductive stripes 100 or line-traces (not shown) are knitted into or attached to smart garment 220 in a path that is traced around, via the back side of the garment, such as to bypass zipper 290. FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary garment 220, as shown in FIG. 8, wherein zipper 290 is unzipped and the garment is in a spread, unfolded form.

[0078] The bypassing technique is also valid to any location of a generally vertical zipper, whereas conductive stripes 100 or knitted line-traces (not shown) are knitted into or attached to smart garment 220 in a path that is set to continuously pass through the continuous section of the garment between the 290L and 290R parts of zipper 290.

[0079] 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.