Robust, Breathable and Flexible Smart Textiles as Multifunctional Sensor and Heater for Personal Health Management

Smart textiles with high sensitivity and rapid response for various external stimuli have gained tremendous attentions in human healthcare monitoring, personal heat management, and wearable electronics. However, the current smart textiles only acquire desired signal passively, regularly lacking subsequent on-demand therapy actively. Herein, a robust, breathable, and flexible smart textiles as multi-function sensor and wearable heater for human health monitoring and gentle thermotherapy in real time is constructed. The composite fiber as strain sensor (CFY @PU) was fabricated via warping carbon fiber yarns (CFY) onto polyurethane fibers (PU), which endowed composite fiber with high conductivity, excellent sensitivity (GF =76.2), and fantastic dynamic durability (7500 cycles) in strain sensing. In addition, CFY @PU can detect various degrees of human movements such as elbow bending, swallowing and pulse, which can provide effective information for disease diagnosis. More surprisingly, weaving CFY @PU into a fabric can assemble highly sensitive pressure sensor for remote communication and information encryption. Warping CFY onto Kevlar would obtain temperature-sensitive composite fiber (CFY @Kevlar) as temperature sensor and wearable heater for on-demand thermotherapy, which provided unique opportunities in designing smart textiles with ultrahigh sensitivity, rapid response, and great dynamic durability.

Automated summary

This study presents the construction of a robust, breathable, and flexible smart textile that serves as a multi-function sensor and wearable heater. The smart textile exhibits high sensitivity, rapid response, and great dynamic durability, allowing real-time monitoring of human health and gentle thermotherapy. The strain sensor can detect various degrees of human movements and provide effective information for disease diagnosis. The temperature-sensitive composite fiber can be used for on-demand thermotherapy.