Woodhead Publishing Smart Textiles for Medicine and Healthcare: Materials, Systems and Applications (Woodhead Publishing Series in Textiles)

Medical and smart textiles are two of the most exciting areas of research in textiles. This book combines the two by looking at how smart or intelligent textiles are being used in healthcare. It begins by assessing trends in smart medical textiles and their diverse uses in such areas as woundcare and drug release systems. A group of chapters then reviews their role in monitoring the health of particular groups such as the elderly or particular parts of the body such as the heart. The book concludes by discussing such areas as smart dyes and the use of phase-change and shape-memory materials in medical textiles. Key Features: unlocks the significant potential of smart textiles within the healthcare industry; provides a unique insight into recent developments in this exciting field. Contents: Part 1 Types of smart medical textile: Trends in smart medical textiles; Smart woundcare materials; Textile-based drug release systems; Application of phase-change and shape-memory materials in medical textiles; The use of electronics in medical textiles; Textile sensors for health care; Smart dyes for medical and other textiles. Part 2 Smart medical textiles for particular types of patient: Intelligent garments for prehospital emergency care; Smart medical textiles for monitoring pregnancy; Smart textiles for monitoring children in hospital; Wearable textiles for rehabilitation of disabled patients; Wearable assistants for mobile health monitoring; Smart medical textiles for monitoring patients with heart conditions.