Devices that monitor vital signs are usually bulky and unsightly, not to mention inconvenient and not always practical for everyday use, but by the way technology is miniaturizing, there are no real doubts about fabrics becoming the next genuine machines. There is already wearable technology to perform a lot of tasks, and now, there is also one to serve medical purposes, namely the Vital Jacket, a wearable vital-signs monitoring system.

Developed by the Chilean-based company BioDevices, the Vital Jacket uses microelectronics embedded into a T-shirt that will continuously monitor the heart rate and electrocardiogram (ECG) waves of the wearer. The Vital Jacket was designed as a functional approach for individuals that need continuous or frequent monitoring of cardiac health and functioning, with fitness, high performance sports, security, and medical applications.

 

The benefit of bio-monitoring clothing includes more freedom of movement, independence from stationary treatment for patients who need special care, and quality data collection in high performance sports, as well as for fitness enthusiasts.

 

Vital Jacket is currently available in two versions: HWM100 stores data on an SD memory card for viewing and analysis on a computer and allows for long term monitoring. Users can input heart rate limits and be alerted through a vibration alarm embedded in the T-Shirt when the set limits are exceeded. The second version, HWM200, allows signals to be sent directly to a PDA or cell phone. BioDevices plans further refinement to the wearable heart monitor so that medical professionals can receive live data about their patients' health 24 hours a day using a wireless LAN.

 

According to the manufacturer, the Vital Jacket is a system capable of acquiring, storing, and analyzing, both on and offline, various physiological signs such as ECG, heart rate, breathing, oxygen saturation, activity, posture, and body temperature. Even more, the garment could be combined with other equipment, such as a digital scale, medical dispenser, or blood pressure scanner, with the Vital Jacket functioning as a motherboard.

 

Tested successfully on 300 patients, the Vital Jacket is not yet available for sale, but it seems that it can be pre-ordered for about 640 US dollars.

 

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