Introduction
Nicola Coppedè from CNR IMEM (Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism) in collaboration with HFT Smartsensors and ComfTec, presented at Rome Maker Faire 2016 an innovative t-shirt produced by HFT, that incorporate special biosensors realized directly on the textile fiber. The biosensor are devoted to the characterization of the athletes sweat during the performances.
The project
After a careful development on the materials and on the structure of the textile devices, a working prototype of a t-shirt has been presented at Maker Feire 2016. The goal of the innovative t-shirt is to collect and analyze live data on the athletes’ and common people sweat, to understand the important information on the physiological state of the athletes and in everyday life.
The system is based on innovative textile biosensors embedded in the t-shirt, a reading electronics that can be removed and an App on the cell phone to read and communicate the data. In such a way it is possible for the athlete or the coach to see live the data on the physiological condition, receiving analysis and hints to improve the performances, or also in everyday life to rehydrate correctly.
The measurements of the biosensor regards, first the total amount of sweat produced in time, and then the concentrations of the electrolytes in the sweat in time (sodium, potassium, et al). The data are crucial to determine the hydration condition of the athlete during the performances. In fact Sodium is crucial in the electrochemical processes of the body. To have a correct equilibrium between water and electrolytes in the body is determinant to maintain high performances level and also in everyday life.
A lower level of water (dehydration) or a low level of Sodium (Hyponatremia) may happen during physical work, if the rehydration is not correct. These alterations could act crucially on the physical health and on the performances. In case of water loss the electrolyte concentration could vary significantly, and the t-shirt could read these changes, suggesting when and how much rehydrate. Moreover it is possible to evaluate the quality of rehydration, by reading the changes in the electrolytes and determining the exact content to rehydrate. In such a way it is possible to compose a dedicated beverage with the optimal content of electrolytes to integrate. This could be a way to personalize the hydration and the nutrition of the athletes, improving their health and performances. The physiological conditions and the hydration results optimized during all the performances.
Conclusions
Finally other biosensor devices are under development, and will be applied to the t-shirt system, to improve the possible information on the physiological data. A great number of unprecedented data could be recorded, in continuous, live, non-invasive way, paving the way to a new generation of biosensors for the health and wellness of our body.[:]