Smart textiles for personalized healthcare
This Review examines the development of smart textiles for application in personalized healthcare, examining the different platform technologies, fabrication strategies and clinical scenarios, as well as the current commercial and regulatory landscape.
Abstract
Incorporating sensing and therapeutic capabilities into everyday textiles could be a powerful approach in the development of personalized healthcare. The creation of such smart textiles has been driven by the fabrication of various miniaturized platform technologies, and has led to the construction of compact, autonomous and interconnected functional textiles. Here we review the development of smart textiles for application in personalized healthcare. We examine the different platform technologies, the various fabrication strategies and the range of clinical scenarios in which they are used. We also explore the current commercial and regulatory landscapes, and consider issues of data management. Finally, we highlight the key steps required to transition these technological platforms to commercial applications. This Review examines the development of smart textiles for application in personalized healthcare, examining the different platform technologies, fabrication strategies and clinical scenarios, as well as the current commercial and regulatory landscape.