B. Fabric Electrodes realized by seamless knitting technology

Seamless sensorized garment have been processed with Santoni knitting machines, using stainless steel yarns produced by Bekintex to realize the electrodes and the Meryl Skin life purchased by Nylstar as basal yarn. Garments with different level of complexity, in term of sensors distribution, have been developed in the frame of the European project MyHeart (IST-2002-507816).

Seamless electrodes have been tested and used without the hydrogel membrane as the goal of the project was to interface the sensors directly with the skin.

C. Acquisition of Bioelectrical Signals through Fabric Electrodes

Fabric electrodes realized by flat-knitting machinery have been used to monitor Electrocardiogram (ECG), see Fig. 1, and respiratory activity by means of Impendence Pneumography (IP). IP has been described in previous authors work [5].

Fig. 1: Fabric electrodes realized by flat-knitting machinery. Circled ones are for ECG acquisition.

ECG signals have been acquired by using an acquisition card (National Instruments PCI-6036E). Signals have been conditioned by means of GRASS TELEFACTOR model 15LT device, with gain set to 1000.

A shirt has been realized by seamless machine in order to gather ECG and IP signal see Fig. 2.

Fig. 2: Fabric electrodes realized by seamless knitting technology: electrode positions for ECG acquisition.

Signals from the seamless system have been conditioned by using a device developed by CSEM (www.csem.ch) and developed within the WEALTHY project.

To improve the electrical signal quality in dynamic conditions, the electrodes have been wet.

D. Knitted Piezoresistive Fabric realized by seamless knitting technology

Piezoresistive fabric sensors have been realized with Santoni seamless machines using intarsia technique. The used conductive yarn (Belltron􀂓9R1 is produced by Kanebo Ltd, and it is coupled with an elastomer (Lycra).