Textile piezoresistive sensors for on-body measurement of spinal extension

Jennifer Deignan, Matthew Jacobs, Larisa Florea, Shirley Coyle, Dermot Diamond, Maria Pacelli, Rita Paradiso

Abstract: Here we investigate the feasibility of textile based piezoresistive sensors to accurately measure increases in spinal extension, on-body for clinical application in the Modified Modified Schober's test. The proposed sensor combines the accuracy of standard metallic strain sensors with the comfort and usability of textiles, offering innumerable wearable applications. Calibration testing of the textile sensors showed a linear dependency between sensor's electrical resistance and strain in the region of interest (25-60% strain) with great reproducibility (relative standard deviation 0.0296-2.04%, n=10). On-body testing of the device has shown accurate results validated by standard measurements done with a steel measuring tape, proving the viability of the sensor for real-time monitoring of spinal extension.