OFSETH

Healthcare monitoring is a general concern for patients requiring a continuous medical assistance and treatment. In order to increase mobility of such patients, a huge effort is pursued worldwide for the development of wearable monitoring systems able to measure vital physiological parameters such as respiration movements, cardiac activity, pulse oxymetry, temperature of the body. Technical or smart textiles that incorporate many different sensors play a growing role in these developments as they are well suited for wearability and can ensure comfort to the user.

While most developments up to now have been focused on the use of electrical sensors, the aim of OFSETH is to take advantage of pure optical sensing technologies for extending the capabilities of medical technical textiles for wearable health monitoring.

OFSETH research will focus on how silica and polymer optical fibres can be used for sensing vital parameters while being compatible with a textile manufacturing process.

The main objectives of OFSETH are the following:

• Develop textile-based fibre optics sensors for the monitoring of vital parameters (respiratory and cardiac activity) of patients
• Test the sensors onto simulators and compare with standard sensors
• Integrate the sensors into a wearable and autonomous monitoring system
• Validate the project results through a clinical evaluation with patients and healthy volunteers

For further information, please visit:
http://www.ofseth.org

Project co-ordinator:
Multitel, BE

Partners:

• Centre Scientifique et Technique de l'Industrie Textile Belge (BE)
• Shishoo Consulting AB (SE)
• TAM télésanté (FR)
• Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille (FR)
• Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und – Prüfung (DE)
• Advanced Optics Solutions GMBH (DE)
• Fiberware Generalunternehmen für Nachrichtentechnik GmbH (DE)
• Technische Universität München (DE)
• ELASTA Ind (BE)
• TYTEX A/S (DK)

Timetable: from 03/06 – to 08/09

Total cost: € 3.507.517

EC funding: € 2.324.353

Instrument: STREP

Project Identifier: IST-2005-027869

Source: FP6 eHealth Portfolio of Projects