E-textiles is a new hybrid field developed with the help of the integration of electronic components into our daily usage of textile products. These wearable e-textiles provide user-defined applications as well as normal textile clothing. The medical field is one of the major leading areas where these new hybrid products are being implemented, and relatively mature products can be observed in the laboratory as well as in commercial markets. These products are developed for continuous patient monitoring in large-scale hospital centers as well as for customized patient requirements. Meanwhile, these products are also being used for complex medical treatments and the replacement of conventional methods. This review manuscript contains a basic overview of e-textile systems, their components, applications, and usages in the field of medical innovations. E-textile systems, integrated into customized products for medical needs, are discussed with their proposed properties and limitations. Finally, some recommendations to enhance the e-textile system’s integration into the medical field are argued.

Reliability and washability are major hurdles facing the e-textile industry nowadays. The main fear behind the product’s rejection is the inability to ensure its projected life span. The durability of e-textiles is based on an approximate lifetime of both the electronics and textiles integrated into the product. A detailed analysis of the wash process and the possibility of predicting product behavior are key factors for new standards implementation. This manuscript is focused on the washability issues of different types of woven, knitted, and embroidered, textile-based ECG electrodes. These electrodes are used without the addition of any ionic gel to the skin to reduce impedance. They were subjected to up to 50 wash cycles with two different types of wash processes, and changes in surface resistance, as well as the quality of ECG waves, were observed To investigate the wash damages in detail, the proposed mechanical (Martindale and Pilling box) and chemical test methods were investigated. The electrodes which increased resistance after washing showed the same trend in the proposed test methods. Copper-based electrodes suffered the most severe damage and increased resistance, as was also visible in an SEM analysis. These proposed test methods can be used to predict robustness behavior without washing.

Chemical and flame resistance of natural fiber-reinforced composites is a point of concern for industry and researchers, especially for applications involving chemicals and high temperatures. The present work focuses on studying the effect of jute fiber treatment, the addition of ZnO nanoparticles to resin, and use of chemical-resistant resin on the chemical resistance (alkali and acid), fire retardancy and mechanical properties of jute/unsaturated polyester composites. Scouring, mercerization, and hybrid fluorocarbon (HFC) treatments of woven jute fabrics were observed. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were dispersed in normal (Nrml) and chemical resistant (CR) unsaturated polyester resins using a sonicator. Then four layered cross ply symmetric composites were made by hand layup. Chemical resistance, fire retardancy, tensile, flexural, and impact properties were tested using standard test methods. Fiber treatments, chemical resistant resin, and ZnO were found to have a significant effect on the tested parameters. Acids and base solutions, with higher concentrations, caused more damages to the samples, ranging from 1.2% to 7% weight loss. This weight loss was reduced to 0.25% with ZnO treatments. This treatment also enhanced the tensile strength up to 23 MPa. Similarly, HFC treatment increased flexural strength 46 MPa to 54 MPa.