Development of a Function-Integrative Sleeve for Medical Applications

Function-integrative textiles bear the potential for a variety of applications in the medical field. Recent clinical investigations suggest that the application of a function-integrative fabric could have a positive impact on currently applied diagnostic procedures of a specific type of tumour. In this context, the fabric should enable local warming of a patient’s upper extremity as well as blood flow measurement. Existing solutions comprise a warming system but lack a measuring apparatus for blood flow determination. With regard to the quality of results of current diagnostic procedures, the local warming of the patients’ upper extremity and the simultaneous determination of the blood flow plateau are crucial. In the present paper, the development process of a function-integrative sleeve is introduced. Besides the development of an adaptable sleeve-design, the manufacturing process of an integrated warming system was also addressed. Furthermore, the identification of crucial physiological effects, using a Laser Doppler Perfusion Monitor, is introduced. During testing of the function-integrative sleeve, modulation of the desired physiological effects was observed. The results support the initial assumptions and dictate further investigations on increasing user-friendliness and cost-efficiency during adjusting and determining the physiological effects in the course of tumour diagnosis.