• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.89-100
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• 2019

Sleep apnea, a medical condition associated with a variety of complications, is generally monitored by standard sleep polysomnography, which is expensive and uncomfortable. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes an unconstrained wearable monitoring system with stretch-fiber sensors that integrate with the wearer's clothing. The system allows patients to undergo examinations in a familiar environment while minimizing the occurrence of skin allergies caused by adhesive tools. As smart clothing for adult males with sleep apnea, long-sleeved T-shirts embedding fibrous sensors were developed, enabling real-time monitoring of the patients' breathing rate, oxygen saturation, and airflow as sleep apnea diagnostic indicators. The gauge factor was measured as 20.3 in sample 4. The maximum breathing intake, measured during three large breaths, was 2048 ml. the oxygen saturation was measured before and during breath-holding. The oxygen saturation change was 69.45%, showing a minimum measurable oxygen saturation of 70%. After washing the garment, the gauge factor reduced only to 18.0, confirming the durability of the proposed system. The wearable sleep apnea monitoring smart clothes are readily available in the home and can measure three indicators of sleep apnea: respiration rate, breathing flow and oxygen saturation.