{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T08:35:21Z","timestamp":1780389321961,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,3,24]],"date-time":"2017-03-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1490313600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Union\u2019s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program","award":["644268"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["644268"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In this paper, the washability of wearable textronic (textile-electronic) devices has been studied. Two different approaches aiming at designing, producing, and testing robust washable and reliable smart textile systems are presented. The common point of the two approaches is the use of flexible conductive PCB in order to interface the miniaturized rigid (traditional) electronic devices to conductive threads and tracks within the textile flexible fabric and to connect them to antenna, textile electrodes, sensors, actuators, etc. The first approach consists in the use of TPU films (thermoplastic polyurethane) that are deposited by the press under controlled temperature and pressure parameters in order to protect the conductive thread and electrical contacts. The washability of conductive threads and contact resistances between flexible PCB and conductive threads are tested. The second approach is focused on the protection of the whole system\u2014composed of a rigid electronic device, flexible PCB, and textile substrate\u2014by a barrier made of latex. Three types of prototypes were realized and washed. Their reliabilities are studied.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s17040673","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,3,24]],"date-time":"2017-03-24T11:38:27Z","timestamp":1490355507000},"page":"673","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":106,"title":["How to Make Reliable, Washable, and Wearable Textronic Devices"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Xuyuan","family":"Tao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Ecole Nationale Sup\u00e9rieure des Arts et Industries Textiles, 2 all\u00e9e Louise et Victor Champier, 59056 Roubaix CEDEX 1, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vladan","family":"Koncar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ecole Nationale Sup\u00e9rieure des Arts et Industries Textiles, 2 all\u00e9e Louise et Victor Champier, 59056 Roubaix CEDEX 1, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8324-2579","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tzu-Hao","family":"Huang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Taiwan Textile Research Institute, No. 6, Chengtian Rd., Tucheng Dist., New Taipei City 23674, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chien-Lung","family":"Shen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Taiwan Textile Research Institute, No. 6, Chengtian Rd., Tucheng Dist., New Taipei City 23674, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ya-Chi","family":"Ko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Taiwan Textile Research Institute, No. 6, Chengtian Rd., Tucheng Dist., New Taipei City 23674, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gwo-Tsuen","family":"Jou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Taiwan Textile Research Institute, No. 6, Chengtian Rd., Tucheng Dist., New Taipei City 23674, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,3,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Eichinger, G.F., Baumann, K., Martin, T., and Jones, M. (2007, January 11\u201313). Using a PCB Layout Tool to Create Embroidered Circuits. Proceedings of the 11th IEEE International Symposium on Wearable Computers, Boston, MA, USA.","DOI":"10.1109\/ISWC.2007.4373789"},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Linz, T., Gourmelon, L., and Langereis, G. (2007, January 26\u201328). Contactless EMG sensors embroidered onto textile. Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Wearable and Implantable Body Sensor Networks (BSN 2007), Berlin, Germany."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"137","DOI":"10.1016\/j.artmed.2012.09.003","article-title":"Smart wearable systems: Current status and future challenges","volume":"56","author":"Chan","year":"2012","journal-title":"Artif. Intell. Med."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11957","DOI":"10.3390\/s140711957","article-title":"Wearable electronics and smart textiles: A critical review","volume":"14","author":"Stoppa","year":"2014","journal-title":"Sensors"},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"JaeHan, C., Kim, Y., Lee, K., and Chung, Y.C. (2008, January 5\u201311). Various wearable embroidery RFID tag antenna using electro-thread. Proceedings of the 2008 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium, San Diego, CA, USA."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Linz, T., Kallmayer, C., Aschenbrenner, R., and Reichl, H. (2005, January 18\u201321). Embroidering electrical interconnects with conductive yarn for the integration of flexible electronic modules into fabric. Proceedings of the 9th IEEE International Symposium on Wearable Computers (ISWC\u203205), Osaka, Japan.","DOI":"10.1109\/ISWC.2005.19"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kiourti, A., and Volakis, J.L. (2016, January 14\u201318). Conductive textiles for wearable electronics. Proceedings of the 2016 URSI International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory (EMTS), Espoo, Finland.","DOI":"10.1109\/URSI-EMTS.2016.7571442"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"840","DOI":"10.1016\/j.microrel.2013.12.011","article-title":"Reliability of washable wearable screen printed UHF RFID tags","volume":"54","author":"Virkki","year":"2014","journal-title":"Microelectron. Reliab."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Holm, R. (1967). Electric Contacts\u2014Theory and Application, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-662-06688-1"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2062","DOI":"10.1177\/0040517512447519","article-title":"Electromechanical analysis of length-related resistance and contact resistance of conductive knitted fabrics","volume":"82","author":"Li","year":"2012","journal-title":"Text. Res. J."},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"ISO (2012). ISO 6330:2012 Textiles\u2014Domestic Washing and Drying Procedures for Textile Testing, ISO."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kallmayer, C., Pisarek, R., Neudeck, A., and Reichlt, H. (2003, January 27\u201330). New assembly technologies for textile transponder systems. Proceedings of the 53rd Electronic Components and Technology Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA.","DOI":"10.1109\/ECTC.2003.1216432"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Vieroth, R., Kallmayer, C., Aschenbrenner, R., and Reichl, H. (2009, January 9\u201311). A new package for textile integrated RFID tags. Proceedings of the 11th Electronics Packaging Technology Conference, Singapore.","DOI":"10.1109\/EPTC.2009.5416545"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Linz, T., Simon, E., and Walter, H. (2010, January 13\u201316). Fundamental analysis of embroidered contacts for electronics in textiles. Proceedings of the 3rd Electronic System-Integration Technology Conference (ESTC), Berlin, Germany.","DOI":"10.1109\/ESTC.2010.5642823"}],"container-title":["Sensors"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/17\/4\/673\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T18:31:10Z","timestamp":1760207470000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/17\/4\/673"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,3,24]]},"references-count":14,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,4]]}},"alternative-id":["s17040673"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/s17040673","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-8220"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-8220","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,3,24]]}}}