Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Berlin have created a textile vest with built-in acoustic sensors as part of the Pneumo.Vest project, which offers a high-performance alternative to the conventional stethoscope.

Figure 1: Vest project to record lung noises.

Figure 1 shows thatthe front and rear of the vest are equipped with piezoceramic acoustic sensors that can detect any sound made by the lungs in the thorax, no matter how minute. The lungs are visibly represented on a monitor as the signals are recorded and electrically amplified.

The software can pinpoint the location of the data since it is aware of the exact location of each individual sensor. This generates a precise auditory and optical image of the ventilation state of each lung segment. [1]

The Pneumo.Vest project enables the continuous monitoring of patients outside of intensive care units (ICUs). The result is a comprehensive acoustic and optical picture of the ventilation status of the various parts of the lungs. Moreover, the Pneumo.Vest’s system gathers and stores the data permanently, so that examinations can be scheduled at any time and even in the absence of hospital staff.

The technology is intended to not only expand diagnosis options but also enhance the quality of life of patients. The special vest is being touted as a helpful addition to the traditional doctor’s stethoscope. [2]

The technology was initially designed for respiratory patients, but it also works well for people in care facilities and for use in sleep laboratories. It can also be used to train young doctors in auscultation.

The researchers at Fraunhofer IKTS have developed a product that is cut out for the increasingly strained situation at hospitals. In Germany, 385,000 patients with respiratory or lung diseases require inpatient treatment every year. Over 60 percent are connected to a ventilator for more than 24 hours. This figure does not account for the current increase in respiratory patients due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result of increasing life expectancy, the medical industry also expects the number of older patients with breathing problems to increase. With the help of technology from Fraunhofer IKTS, the burden on hospitals and, in particular, costly ICUs can be relieved as their beds will no longer be occupied for quite as long. [3]

References:

1. https://www.azosensors.com/news.aspx?newsID=15129
2. https://www.technicaltextile.net/news/researchers-in-germany-invent-high-tech-textile-vest-for-lung-patients-282326.html
3. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220801/Textile-vest-with-integrated-acoustic-sensors-records-noises-in-the-lungs.aspx

Cite this article:

Sri Vasagi K (2022), New Textile Vest Sensor Technology to Record Lung Noises, Anatechmaz, pp.154