Another example of a product currently under development is a maternity smart fabric bellyband to monitor uterine activity and assess fetal wellbeing. This project leverages conductive yarns, knitting technology and the use of a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The aim was to create of a wearable wireless telemetry device that reduces bulk, improves comfort and enables greater mobility in pregnant women. The wearable, battery-less wireless sensor would replace the current cumbersome wired probes for contractions and respiration monitoring. The first step in the bellyband design was to experiment with digital fabrication of different antenna shapes knitted with conductive yarns that connect to the passive RFID. We considered a multitude of conductive pathway designs for our antenna including the final design in the form of a folded dipole antenna. Contact us at functionalfabrics@drexel.edu for more information.

Collaborators

FUNDING

PFI: BIC Wearable Smart Textiles Based on Programmable and Automated Knitting Technology for Biomedical and Sensor Actuation Applications funded by National Science Foundation Partnerships for Innovation (1430212; PI Dandekar); Phases I and II: Maternity “Smart Fabric Bellyband” to Monitor Uterine Activity and Assess Fetal Well Being funded by Drexel University, Wallace H. Coulter Endowment (682, PI Fonteccchio)

PUBLICATIONS

Vora SA, Mongan WM, Anday EK, Dandekar KR, Dion G, Fontecchio AK, Kurzweg TP. On Implementing an Unconventional Infant Vital Signs Monitor with Passive RFID Tags. In: 2017 IEEE International Conference on RFID; 9-11 May 2017; Phoenix, AZ.

Mongan W, Rasheed I, Ved K, Vora S, Dandekar K, Dion G, Kurzweg T, Fontecchio A. On the Use of Radio Frequency Identification for Continuous Biomedical Monitoring. In: 2017 IEEE International Conference on Internet-of-Things Design and Implementation (IoTDI); 2017 Apr; Pittsburg, PA.

Mongan WM, Rasheed I, Ved K, Levitt A, Anday E, Dandekar K, Dion G, Kurzweg T, Fontecchio A. Real-time detection of apnea via signal processing of time-series properties of RFID-based smart garments. In: 2016 IEEE Signal Processing in Medicine and Biology Symposium; 2016 Dec 3; Philadelphia, PA.

Yuqiao L, Levitt AS, Dion G, Kara CD, Sahin C, Dandekar KR. An Improved Design of Wearable Strain Sensor Based on Knitted RFID Technology. In: 2016 IEEE Conference on Antenna Measurements and Applications (CAMA), 2016 October 23-27; Syracuse, NY.

Mongan W, Anday E, Dion G, Fontecchio A, Joyce K, Kurzweg T, Liu Y, Montgomery O, Rasheed I, Sahin C, Vora S, Dandekar K.

Section Text Link text Link Image Notes A Multi-Disciplinary Framework for Continuous Biomedical Monitoring Using Low-Power Passive RFID-based Wireless Wearable Sensors. In: 2016 IEEE International Conference on Smart Computing (SMARTCOMP); 2016 May 18-20; St. Louis, MO.

Patron D, Mongan W, Kurzweg TP, Fontecchio A, Genevieve D, Anday EK, Dandekar KR. On the Use of Knitted Antennas and Inductively Coupled RFID Tags for Wearable Applications. IEEE Trans Biomeds Circuits Syst. 2016:PP(99).

Patron D, Gedin K, Kurzweg T, Fontecchio A, Dion G, Dandekar KR. 2014. A wearable RFID sensor and effects of human body proximity. In: 2014 IEEE Benjamin Franklin Symposium on Microwave and Antenna Systems for Radar, Telecommunications, and Biomedical Applications; 2014 September 27; Philadelphia, PA.

Patron D, Kurzweg T, Fontecchio A, Dion G, Dandekar KR. 2014. Wireless strain sensor through a flexible tag antenna employing inductively-coupled RFID microchip. In: 2014 IEEE 15th Annual Wireless and Microwave Technology Conference; 2014 June 6; Tampa, FL. Red Hook, NY: Curran Associates. p 161-163

PATENTS

Smart Knitted Fabrics | Drexel Ref. 13-1621D and | U.S. Provisional Patent Applications No. (61/772,670 and 61/906,883 were combined) and a Full Patent PCT/US2014/020681 Filed 3/5/2014