Garment for the medical monitoring of a patient
A flexible, elastic garment ( 1 ) is provided comprising biomedical sensors ( 3, 4, 5, 6 ), an electrical power distribution and data transmission bus ( 2, 7 ) and a coupling circuit for allowing contactless transmission of power and data between the sensors and a circuit external to the garment. The sensors ( 3, 4, 5, 6 ), and the bus ( 2, 7 ) for distributing the electrical power and/or transporting the data from the sensors in the garment are formed by elastic conducting yarns integrated into the fabric of the garment.
1. Garment for the medical monitoring of a patient, comprising biomedical sensors, an electrical power distribution and data transmission bus connected to the sensors and to a coupling circuit for allowing electrical power supply and data transfer to a circuit external to the garment, wherein at least some of the sensors, the electrical power distribution and data transmission bus and the coupling circuit are formed from elastic conducting yarns integrated into and distributed over the fabric of the garment, wherein the elastic conducting yarns consist of fine conducting yarns wound in a spiral around a non-conducting elastic core.
2. Garment according to claim 1 , wherein sensors formed from elastic conducting yarns are integrated into the fabric of the garment while the garment is being woven.
3. Garment according to claim 1 , wherein a conducting connection between two elastic conducting yarns is produced by contact between the spirals of the two elastic conducting yarns, the contact being maintained by binding stitches that clamp the two conducting yarns against each other.
4. Garment according to claim 1 , wherein a conducting connection between two conducting yarns is produced by clamping the yarns, pressed against each other, between two pads or meshes fastened together, at least one of which is conducting.
5. Garment according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the sensors measures mechanical deformations of that part of the body on which it is applied, by recording electrical effects due to the mutual sliding of the spirals of the fine conducting yarns when the fabric is pulled in the direction of the conducting yarns.
6. Garment according to claim 1 , wherein the conductivity of the conducting yarns is modified by chemical or electrochemical treatment or by impregnation with a conductive or insulating material to create conducting areas and non-conducting areas.
7. Garment according to claim 1 , wherein the garment consists of several superposed fabric layers that contain conducting yarns for protecting components of the garment from undesirable electromagnetic effects, the said layers being held in place against one another by yarns that pass through them.
8. Garment according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical power distribution and data transmission bus comprises a bus of insulated elastic conducting yarns, to which the sensors are connected.
9. Garment according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling circuit for electrical power supply comprises a contactless inductive coupling circuit integrated into the garment.
10. Garment according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling circuit for electrical power supply and for data transfer includes a contactless link for transferring data picked up by the sensors in the garment to a close receiver base associated with said circuit external to the garment.
11. Garment according to claim 1 , additionally including a module for transmitting data delivered by the sensors, via a telecommunications network, to a server that is used by medical personnel.