Smart textiles in healthcare: a summary of history, types, applications, challenges, and future trends

Abstract The use of smart textiles and garments in the development of novel wearable medical devices for enhanced health monitoring and treatment options continues to capture the attention of scientists and engineers. Indeed, many researchers are developing these types of innovative medical devices, several of which are reaching the commercial market. In this chapter, the history, different types of categorization approaches, applications, challenges, and future trends for smart textiles in the healthcare area are discussed. In particular, a new method for categorizing smart textiles systems based on their application is suggested, augmented with a review of relevant applications for each category. The goal of this chapter is to provide a general introduction to the growing and challenging realm of smart textiles with an emphasis on their applications to the field of healthcare. Although this chapter represents a concise summary of the past, present, and future of smart textiles for medical applications, it is hoped that it sufficiently conveys the immense potential for the field and will spark the interest of novices in this exciting domain.