Single polymer fiber for distributed pressure and temperature
This technology is a flexible fiber — thin enough to weave into fabric — that can simultaneously measure temperature and pressure at multiple points along its entire length using a single electrical connection at one end. The fiber is made from carefully layered materials drawn through a thermal process, embedding electrodes inside a polymer casing. When the fiber is woven into clothing, bandages, or robotic skin, it acts like a continuous sensor network, detecting exactly where and how much pressure or temperature change occurs. The interrogation method (electrical reflectometry) is the same principle used in cable fault detection, making the readout relatively simple and compatible with existing electronics.
What you could build
A smart textile platform — integrated into compression garments, wound dressings, or prosthetic liners — that continuously maps pressure and temperature across the skin for medical monitoring or rehabilitation. Primary buyers would be medical device OEMs and advanced wound care or prosthetics companies.
Who in Virginia should care
Defense and aerospace contractors in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads corridor (e.g., those working on soldier-worn health monitoring or smart protective gear) and med-tech companies in the Charlottesville/Richmond corridor would be plausible partners.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Xiaoting Jia, Anbo Wang, Haifeng Xuan, Li Yu
- Granted
- April 2, 2024
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 11947163
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.