Electronic textiles (E-textiles) can act as an exceptional substrate for incorporating sensing devices for monitoring physiological parameters, as they are comfortable to wear close to the skin. This makes them excellent for a variety of applications in the healthcare, wellbeing, and personal protection sectors. One method of creating E-textiles with good textile properties is to integrate an electronic component into a yarn to create an electronic yarn (or E-yarn), which can then be used to construct a textile. This Interactivity Lab Demonstration will present electronic textiles developed by the Advanced Textiles Research Group (ATRG) from Nottingham Trent University (UK). The group has conducted a wealth of research into the development of E-yarns and the incorporation of these into textiles and garment. At CHI, users will be able to interact with textiles capable of fall and near-fall detection, temperature sensing, acoustic sensing, giving haptic feedback, and harvesting solar energy.

This paper discusses the development of an alternating pressure overlay designed with miniaturized air cells for the treatment of pressure ulcers. Pressure ulcers can be identified as a skin deformity due to application of prolonged pressure on the skin causing improper blood circulation. The alternating behaviour of the air cells aid in pressure relieving, thus provide better blood circulation to carry vital nutrients to the tissues while reducing formation of pressure ulceration. The proposed design miniaturizes the air cell sizes and establish an optimum air cell size to provide high-resolution pressure therapy in comparison to existing designs. This optimum air cell size, geometry along with its 3D deformation profiles were analysed using finite element method. The findings of the numerical simulations concluded that individual cell design should contain a minimum cell membrane thickness of 5mm and an overlay height of 185mm to withstand a maximum pressure of 60mmHg. Optimum pressure pattern of the alternating pressure therapy was selected as 1-in-4 pressure pattern, where the pressure overlay was divided into five pressure zones to actuate and map the interface pressures required. The control system was designed to provide required alternating pressure for patients by detecting the high pressure zones.

This paper presents a study on design and development of an alternating pressure overlay consists of inflatable mini air bladders, which could be used in relieving and reducing tissue pressure for the treatment of pressure ulcers. Pressure ulcers, which are predominant in the bony prominences of the body, is a skin deformity due to the limitation of blood circulation to the muscle tissues as a result of high pressures applied on the skin for longer duration. This research aims to design miniaturised air bladders which could provide alternating pressure sequences for the treatment of the pressure ulcers. The optimally designed air bladders provide proper envelopment of the patient’s body and create a high resolution of pressure distribution. The optimum geometry and the 3-D deformation profile of the air bladders are analysed using the finite element method. Based on the interface pressure the pressure overlay has been divided into five pressure zones. Furthermore, the real-time interface pressure profile between the body and the overlay is mapped by using the back pressure of mini air bladders. The actuator system includes an integrated control unit that regulates the internal pressures via electropneumatic valves operated based on the back pressure sensor feedback. This actuator system provides the alternating pressure patterns required for inflation and deflation of the mini air bladders controlling the airflow of the support surface, providing proper pressure distributions to heal the ulcers.