Smart sensing solutions for applications in biomedical engineering

The measurement of pressure distribution over a defined surface is a matter of paramount importance in many situations regarding industry, robotics and biomedical engineering. Novel and smart sensing solutions are research topics of great concern, since the need for large area sensors with properties of flexibility and stretchability is growing. The emerging class of smart textiles holds great potential for developing new concepts of transducers and sensors, and investigations about their prospects deserve rising attention. The aim of this research is the study of concepts and applications of textile sensors for touch and pressure detection. An example of matrix textile sensor has been designed and developed, by sandwiching a piezoresistive fabric sheet between two outer fabric layers embedding conductive rows and columns. The location of the applied pressure can be identified by detecting the position where the change of resistances occurs between the external conductive paths. Tests regarding its metrological properties have been carried out to highlight the sensor profits and drawbacks and to establish general guidelines for its use. The wide selection of advantages exhibited by this class of sensors, e.g. thinness, lightness, flexibility, stretchability and wearability, suggests their exploitation in a huge number of purposes, especially concerning the medical field. In this thesis, matrix sensors obtained with conductive/piezoresistive textiles have been employed to develop interactive interfaces for therapy protocols, to measure the pressure applied at the lower leg in case of compression therapy, to sensorize a neonatal intubation skill trainer able to provide objective feedback of clinicians' performances, and to realize a pressure sensitive tool for electropalatography. For each application, the suitable sensor design has been studied according to the specific requirements. Development, testing and data analysis phases have been accomplished, confirming the versatility and potentiality of the sensing solutions based on smart textiles.