Development of knitted fabric sensors for monitoring human respiration

Knitting is a kind of fabric forming method, and knitted fabrics are used traditionally in clothing as well as home furnishing. But recently, by using novel techniques and materials, knitted fabric has broadened its application in medical field. In this study, some knitted fabrics were produced by using conductive fibers, and the relationship between the electrical property and the extension of conductive knitted fabrics was investigated theoretically and experimentally. Then, optimization experiment was designed and conducted for finding out the optimal knitting parameters. Based on the results, a product prototype was designed and made for monitoring human respiration. After preliminary trial and analysis, it is found that the product works well even further improvements are needed.