So, how intelligent is your t-shirt?

Now when I say “intelligent” I’m talking less about how clever the design on your t-shirt is and more about what it can actually DO!

It seems that these days t-shirts are undergoing an evolution in practical use. Gone are the days when they are used purely as a fashion item. Todays tees are even being used in the medical sphere as a clever way of monitoring patient’s vitals and location.

That’s right…medical t-shirts!

Ok, so perhaps its not exactly a t-shirt…its more like a chunky vest of sorts, but hey, for now I’m going with ‘t-shirt’, hehe.

Doctors will be able to check the vital signs of patients at any time with built in thermometer and various bioelectrical recording devices. So you will be able to check how physically exerted the patient is and of course temperature and other technical data.

These bad boys also have built in GPS, so you can tell exactly where the patient is. Now you may be wondering why exactly it is such a big thing to have a GPS on the vest. While most patients keep themselves confined to their beds, there are those few who like to be naughty and go walkabout right after an operation. If something happens to that patient they will be able to tell that they did in-fact move, where they moved, who they may have come into contact with and where they currently are.  I suppose this would also work nicely with patients that are a high flight risk, such as criminals undergoing medical attention, psychiatric patients, or even drug addicts.

Obviously these medical t-shirts are all wireless, which makes me wonder how safe they are to have so close to all other sorts of sensitive medical equipment. Well, I’m sure this has all been taken into consideration.

The medical t-shirt is definitely a clever concept, which could find purchase in a variety of medical situations. This device could be used to monitor patients while they are at home. If something happens to the wearer the device could send an instant 911 message to dispatchers, who could then take immediate action.

This device could also be used in the world of sports as a way to test athlete’s vitals for signs of irregularity, such as an erratic heartbeat.

I take my hat off to the Spanish researchers who created this device.I’m sure this ingenius ‘smart t-shirt’ could very well become the norm in first-world hospitals in the near future.

Just in case you are wondering what the device is called, it goes by the tongue twisting name Localización y Biomonitorización a través de Redes Inalámbricas en Entornos Hospitalarios…or LOBIN, for those of us who don’t want to sound like complete idiots when repeating the name in conversation.

Let’s see how this new device will feature in the market. Perhaps the tech could be implemented by big sporting brands, for not only professionals, but people like you and me, who would like to get a better understanding of our own personal fitness.

Very interesting stuff!