Role of Smart Textiles in Heart Monitoring

Electrocardiography or ECG is considered crucial in the initial diagnosis and therapy for varied heart conditions so as to prevent or avert adverse conditions. It relates to the continuous and long-term measurement and monitoring of physiological signals. The drastic advances in wearable electronic technology has been prompted by the rise in requirement of the continuous monitoring of the ECG signal. The electrodes constitute the major criteria that influence the quality of signal and patient comfort in the event of wearable ECG monitoring, the electrodes are the main components that affect the signal quality and comfort of the user. This use of textile electrodes in ECG monitoring starting from the basic to the advances versions and scopes for their future use are dealt with herein. Their design methods and performance with regard to terms of skin– electrode contact impedance, motion artifacts and signal quality have also been considered. Textile electrodes are designed by integrating thin metal fiber during production provess of textile products or by coating textiles with conductive materials such as metal inks, carbon materials, or conductive polymers. The textile electrodes for ECG function through direct skin contact or by means of a non-contact capacitive coupling have been considered. A perspective is also provided for the present intensive and prospective research focused on seeking textile-based ECG electrodes having enhanced comfort and signal quality in the fields of textile, material, medical and electrical engineering.