DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING SENSORS AND SENSOR ARRANGEMENTS VIA WEARABLE ARTICLES WITH FLEXIBLE CIRCUITS
A wearable article is disclosed herein. The wearable article can include a flexible circuit that includes a first electrode including an outer surface of a first material and an inner surface of a second material, a substrate layer, a trace formed from a deformable conductor, and an encapsulation layer. The encapsulation layer can be configured to completely cover the trace and partially cover the first surface of the first electrode. Additionally, the wearable article can be communicably coupled to a processor and a memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive a first signal from the first electrode, receive a second signal from a second electrode, compare a first strength of the received first signal to a second strength of the received second signal, and deactivate the first electrode based on the comparison of the first strength and the second strength.
1 . A monitoring system, comprising:
an article configured to be worn by a user, the article comprising:
a layer of material; and
a substrate coupled to the layer of material, wherein the substrate comprises a circuit comprising an encapsulated deformable conductor and a sensor array;
a processor communicably coupled to the circuit; and
a memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive a signal from the sensor array;
compare a parameter of the received signal to at least one stored signal criteria; and
ignore the received signal if it does not meet the stored signal criteria.
2 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the substrate further comprises a power source coupled thereto.
3 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulated deformable conductor comprises a pattern of traces.
4 . The monitoring system of claim 3 , wherein the pattern of traces is configured to change its viscosity in response to a strain applied to the substrate.
5 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor array comprises at least one pair of electromyography electrodes.
6 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the substrate further comprises an inertial measurement unit coupled thereto.
7 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor array comprises at least one sensor.
8 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor array comprises at least two sensors.
9 . The monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the instruction to ignore the signal causes the processor to deactivate one of the at least two sensors based on the received signal from that one sensor not meeting the at least one stored sensor criteria.
10 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to deactivate at least a portion of the sensor array based on the processor failing to receive the signal a sensor in the array.
11 . The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the substrate is stretchable.
12 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the article comprises a flexible wrap.
13 . A computer-implemented method of selectively monitoring a body part of a user via a wearable article comprising a substrate coupled to a layer of fabric, wherein the substrate comprises a circuit comprising a deformable encapsulated conductor, a first sensor, and a second sensor, the method comprising:
receiving, via a processor, a first signal from the first sensor, wherein the first signal comprises a first signal strength;
receiving, via the processor, a second signal from the second sensor, wherein the second signal comprises a second signal strength;
comparing, via the processor, the first signal and a second signal; and
causing, via the processor, the first sensor to be deactivated based on the comparison of the first signal and second signal.
14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 13 wherein the first sensor comprises a first pair of electrodes and the second sensor comprises a second pair of electrodes.
15 . A wearable article, comprising:
a fabric;
a flexible circuit coupled to the fabric, wherein the flexible circuit comprises:
a first pair of electrodes comprising a first electrode and a second electrode;
a second pair of electrodes comprising a third electrode;
each of the first, second, and third electrodes having an inner surface and an outer surface;
a substrate layer;
a trace formed from a deformable conductor and electrically coupled to the inner surface of each electrode; and
an encapsulation layer, wherein the encapsulation layer is configured to completely cover the trace and partially cover the outer surface of each electrode;
a processor communicably coupled to the circuit; and
a memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive a first signal from the first pair of electrodes;
receive a second signal from the second pair of electrodes;
compare the first signal and the second signal; and
deactivate one of the first and second electrode pairs based on the comparison of the first and second signals.
16 . The wearable article of claim 15 , wherein the second pair of electrodes comprises a fourth electrode.
17 . The wearable article of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the electrodes comprises a doped silicone material.
18 . The wearable article of claim 15 , wherein the deformable conductor comprises a pattern of traces.
19 . The wearable article of claim 18 , wherein the pattern of traces are deposited on the substrate.
20 . The wearable article of claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of the pattern of traces is configured to serve as a strain sensor.