Comparison between resistive and inductive textile sensors for upper limbs edema measurement

Abstract

Swelling of the upper limbs is a widespread problem after breast cancer surgery. It has already been shown that providing relevant feedback on the swelling phase can make treatment and subsequent rehabilitation more effective. This paper is focused on monitoring the swelling of the upper limbs using textile sensors. Two monitoring methods are compared here: a resistive strain sensor and an inductive strain sensor. Resistive strain sensors are used in textiles but show high hysteresis and drift during long-term stretching. Inductive textile sensors are commonly used as antenna elements, and their use has expanded to monitor heart rate or, for example, to detect movement. [3,4] Due to their stability, inductive strain textile sensors could be suitable for monitoring swelling of the upper limbs. This paper is focused on the design and implementation of sensors to the textiles, and there is comparison of sensors based on the results of experiments.