Patent ID: 7715897

Claim:
A system for monitoring at least one predetermined physiological parameter of a wearer, comprising: a garment comprising a fabric exhibiting a light reflection property and substantially no light transmission property when the fabric is illuminated with light having wavelength(s) in the range of from about 400 to about 2200 nanometers; an aperture of acceptance defined with respect to an axis extending from the fabric; at least one source of radiation having wavelength(s) in the range of from about 400 to about 2200 nanometers to direct radiation onto the fabric; at least one detector disposed in the aperture of acceptance to detect radiation having wavelength(s) in the range of from about 400 to about 2200 nanometers incident on the detector; a signal processor for converting a periodically varying signal output from the detector or from a data acquisition unit associated with the detector into a signal representative of a predetermined physiological parameter of the garment wearer; and a conductive pathway disposed on or in the garment connecting the detector and the signal processor; wherein the source and detector are associated with the fabric in fixed relative positions with respect to the aperture of acceptance such that reception of incident radiation detected by the detector is directly affected by a change in the amount of useful light reflected by the fabric into the aperture of acceptance as the fabric periodically stretches and recovers from stretch in response to at least one predetermined physiological parameter of the garment wearer.