Textronics, Inc. has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance to market its textile-based ECG Electrode for use in general electrocardiograph monitoring and recording procedures. The companys heart-sensing fabric offers a comfortable alternative to adhesive electrodes and metal wristbands that are commonly used with most ECG instruments on the market.
“Our textile electrodes can be worn comfortably against the skin, as part of a seamless garment, fabric chest strap or elastic wrist band,” explains Textronics CEO Stacey Burr. “Were offering the medical community a more comfortable and less cumbersome solution that can improve patient compliance by eliminating skin irritation and other discomforts that are commonly experienced during ECG monitoring, especially in extended wear applications.”
Textronics uses its patented technology to knit conductive sensing fibers directly into stretchy fabrics that can monitor physiological conditions comfortably and accurately. The companys textile electrode garments, straps and wristbands are also machine washable and reusable. They can be used for a wide range of ECG monitoring and recording applications, including cardiac event recorders, stress testing, Holter monitoring, trans-telephonic pacemaker monitors, and respiration sensing devices.
“We have already reached into fitness and sports markets, where heart rate monitoring is widely used to enhance performance and to ensure safety,” says Burr. “We can now bring our ECG electrode technology to the health care market, where advances in technology are enabling people to monitor their biofeedback from the comfort of their own homes.”
