How Fabric Sensors Measure Pressure on Your Body
This patent describes a flexible, all-fabric sensor that uses special ionic and conducting materials woven into a cloth to detect tiny pressure changes on the body, like blood pulses or movements.
Original patent title: “Supercapacitive iontronic nanofabric sensing”
This patent describes a flexible, all-fabric sensor that uses special ionic and conducting materials woven into a cloth to detect tiny pressure changes on the body, like blood pulses or movements. Granted to University of California San Diego UCSD in 2021 with 18 claims, and it is expected to expire in 2039.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a wearable sensor assembly designed to detect pressure. It uses fibers coated with an "ionic material" and a "conducting material" that touch each other (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). These materials are formed into a "cloth matrix" or "elastic cloth matrix" that can stretch and conform closely to a body part (Claim 1, 11). When pressure is applied to this fabric, the sensor generates an electrical signal. For example, a sleeve made with this fabric could detect subtle changes in blood pressure pulses in a person's arm, or track body movements during exercise.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover pressure sensors that are not fabric-based or woven into a cloth structure.
- Does not cover sensors that do not use both an ionic material and a conducting material in contact to generate a signal.
- Does not cover sensors that are not designed to be wearable or conform closely to a body's shape.
- Does not cover sensors that measure things other than pressure, such as temperature, humidity, or chemical levels.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The innovation lies in creating an "all-fabric iontronic supercapacitive" sensor. Instead of rigid or bulky flexible sensors, this patent describes using a combination of ionic and conducting materials directly within a fabric structure to achieve high sensitivity (single Pascal resolution) and fast response times for biomechanical signals.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Smart clothing for continuous health monitoring
Garments that track athletic performance and body movement
Bandages with integrated pressure sensing for wound care
Wearable devices for monitoring blood pressure pulses
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology aims to make health monitoring more comfortable and less intrusive than traditional devices. By integrating sensors directly into fabric, it allows for continuous tracking of vital signs like blood pressure or body movements without bulky equipment. This could be particularly useful for remote patient monitoring, athletic performance analysis, or simply making everyday health tracking seamless.
Filed
November 18, 2019
Granted
October 5, 2021
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
The University of California San Diego (UCSD) is the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more → of this patent, indicating that the technology is likely still in academic research or early-stage development. However, major companies like Apple, Google (via Fitbit), and Samsung are actively investing in wearable health monitoring. Startups focused on smart textiles and integrated sensor garments are also exploring similar technologies.
Market impact
This patent aims to advance the field of wearable health monitoring by offering a more comfortable and sensitive alternative to existing sensors. If successfully commercialized, it could enable new forms of continuous, unobtrusive tracking of vital signs, potentially expanding the market for smart clothing and remote patient care. Its low-cost fabrication process could also make such advanced sensors more accessible.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a wearable sensor assembly designed to detect pressure. It uses fibers coated with an "ionic material" and a "conducting material" that touch each other (Claim 1). These materials are formed into a "cloth matrix" or "elastic cloth matrix" that can stretch and conform closely to a body part (Claim 1, 11). When pressure is applied to this fabric, the sensor generates an electrical signal. For example, a sleeve made with this fabric could detect subtle changes in blood pressure pulses in a person's arm, or track body movements during exercise.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in creating an "all-fabric iontronic supercapacitive" sensor. Instead of rigid or bulky flexible sensors, this patent describes using a combination of ionic and conducting materials directly within a fabric structure to achieve high sensitivity (single Pascal resolution) and fast response times for biomechanical signals.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover pressure sensors that are not fabric-based or woven into a cloth structure.
- Does not cover sensors that do not use both an ionic material and a conducting material in contact to generate a signal.
- Does not cover sensors that are not designed to be wearable or conform closely to a body's shape.
- Does not cover sensors that measure things other than pressure, such as temperature, humidity, or chemical levels.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
12/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$51K – $165K
Midpoint $103K · 13.4 yr remaining · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Patent Claims
0 independent claims · 1 dependent
Claims are the legal boundaries of the patent. An independent claim stands alone. A dependent claim adds limitations to its parent, narrowing — but not broadening — the scope.
The original legal language
Original claims
18 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Li, R., Bazor, B. A., & Pan, T. (2021). How Fabric Sensors Measure Pressure on Your Body (U.S. Patent No. 11,137,298). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11137298/supercapacitive-iontronic-nanofabric-sensing
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Fabric Sensors Measure Pressure on Your Body cover?
This patent describes a flexible, all-fabric sensor that uses special ionic and conducting materials woven into a cloth to detect tiny pressure changes on the body, like blood pulses or movements.
Who owns patent US 11137298?
University of California San Diego UCSD owns this patent, granted in 2021.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on November 18, 2039, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology aims to make health monitoring more comfortable and less intrusive than traditional devices. By integrating sensors directly into fabric, it allows for continuous tracking of vital signs like blood pressure or body movements without bulky equipment. This could be particularly useful for remote patient monitoring, athletic performance analysis, or simply making everyday health tracking seamless.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover pressure sensors that are not fabric-based or woven into a cloth structure.
Same assignee
More from University of California San Diego UCSD
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