Electrical behavior investigation of sewn textile transmission paths on weft-knitted fabrics used for muscle activity monitoring

Abstract

In mobile health monitoring systems, particularly wearable electronic systems (WES), bio-signals measuring tools embedded in clothing becomes a viable alternative. Such an alternative is usually designed using flexible conductive media that can capture and transmit bio-signals while maintaining signal reliability and biocompatibility. In addition, WES products are effectuated by the emergence of conductive threads as an appropriate electrical medium for health monitoring through wearable garments. To accomplish this task, conductive threads are emerging as an appropriate electrical medium for bio-signals monitoring. Therefore, the conductive thread is to be considered as a key factor in designing and manufacturing textile-based electronics. However, the behavior of conductive threads under different sewing parameters has been studied to obtain high-quality bio-signals. The article herein the impact of electrically conductive properties of specific conductive threads under three conditions was studied; (a) as sewn configurations on different types of weft-knitted fabric substrates, (b) as sewn configurations with different stitch types, and (c) as working independent threads under various parameters of the sewing process. The purpose of this study is an attempt to design and attach conductive paths to the surface of different fabrics, integrating wearable sensors and electronic elements with those paths. In addition, our research work could be considered as a comprehensive study to analyze both of electrical performance and behavior of the conductive threads under several sewing conditions for different types of weft-knitted fabrics. The expected results can help in developing final products of textile-based electronics to confront the functional and aesthetic performance of consumer’s acceptance. Experimental results show that both sewing and fabric parameters had significantly influenced the electrical resistance of sewn transmission lines (TLs). In addition, the quality of the acquired and transmitted bio-signals has been consequently affected.