Applications of a Textile-Based Wearable System for Vital Signs Monitoring

Abstract

A new textile-based wearable system, named MagIC (Maglietta Interattiva Computerizzata) has been recently developed for getting unobtrusive recordings of cardiorespiratory and motion signals during spontaneous behavior. The system is composed of a vest, including textile sensors for ECG and breathing frequency detection, and a portable electronic board for motion assessment, signal preprocessing and wireless data transmission to a remote computer. In this study the MagIC System has been used to monitor vital signs 1) in cardiac inpatients in bed and during physical exercise and 2) in healthy subjects during exercise and under gravitational stress. All recordings showed a correct identification of arrhythmic events and a correct estimation of RR Interval. The positive results obtained in this study support the routine use of the system in a clinical setting, experimental environments, daily life conditions and sport.