MIT: Smart tissue for rehabilitation

2022: Technology Announcement

In mid-July 2022, engineers Massachusetts Institute of Technology introduced smart textiles that can detect and recognize body movements as a result, will help with rehabilitation after serious injuries.

Smart tissue fits the body and contains a network of pressure sensors that can recognize movements, and in combination with machine learning methods, the technology can learn to recognize a user's specific movements. The fabric contains conductive threads and piezoresistive components that change their resistance when pressed. In order to reduce the noise that occurs when tissues come into contact while moving, the researchers used thermoforming fabrics that help glue knitted layers together. The tissue can be useful in physical rehabilitation, such as in smart shoes that can track gait, or in socks that track pressure on the feet to help reduce ulcers in diabetic patients.

Smart tissue created that helps with medical rehabilitation

According to the developers, the fabric gives a completely updated impetus to wearable technologies, and the potential for its application in medicine is enormous. This technology is no exception, and instead of several sensors hastily pasted onto clothing, this material contains specialized threads that have been woven into clothing using a process called digital knitting. The method is essentially knitting performed by a machine and allows researchers to quickly develop prototypes and then scale their designs for large-scale production if needed.

The fabric consists of a mixture of layers of conventional and functional yarns. Conductive threads are sandwiched with a piezoresistive component that changes resistance in response to pressure, and the intersections of these functional threads can be considered a pressure sensor. One of the problems the researchers faced during development was the noise that occurs when the fibers rub against each other while moving. In order to solve this problem, scientists used thermoplastic threads as a component of the fabric. These threads can be heated and become stiffer after cooling. The researchers used them to stabilize the fabric to reduce noise in the data, as well as to shape the clothing.^[1]

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