Development and Evaluation of a Respiratory Monitoring Smart Garment Based on Notched Optical Fiber Sensing Fabric

Clothing-based respiratory monitoring can provide real-time non-invasive respiratory monitoring services for subjects, and can be used as a reference for daily health observation. In this study, an optical fiber sensing Section woven into plain fabric is produced by a hand-weaving machine, and the produced sensing fabric is then made into a respiratory monitoring garment. This paper explored the luminescence and coupling principle of notched optical fiber through theoretical analysis and simulation, and demonstrated the feasibility of making it into respiratory sensing fabric. We used this structure to make a fabric and then sew the fabric with the yoke to make a smart garment. In testing, we obtained the static respiratory waveform and the respiratory rate (R-R) during daily common movements, which were also compared with two types of commercial sensors. The results showed that the smart garment based on optical fiber sensing fabric maintains good consistency with the monitoring waveform of commercial sensors and good R-R obtained in static motion (error not more than 2 rpm). Monitoring tests showed that the garment has high monitoring accuracy and motion monitoring stability. Moreover, it was also very comfortable and can be used as daily respiratory monitoring equipment.