Research Excellence

Functional compression textiles have been increasingly applied in the fields of medicine, healthcare, rehabilitation, sports exercise, and personal protection. However, the user-oriented compression design for effectively achieving individualized demands has not been fully developed. Even their positive efficacies have been demonstrated by clinical and field studies, certain side-effects and non-compliance resulting from ill-fitting and wearing discomfort have hindered their practical use. My research is devoted to exploring the best solutions to efficiently improve users' experience and biomedical functions of compression textiles through applying multidisciplinary technologies, ergonomic design, creative wearing modalities, and multiple collaborations, thus enhancing wearing comfort and public health.

Unlike a traditional overall tight-fitting concept, compression textiles provide uniquely controlled levels of pressure, support, or stabilization tailored to the user's body for preventive, therapeutic, or protective purposes. The intraindividual and interindividual differences in terms of pressure-stimulus tolerance, anthropometric characteristics, symptom severities, and usage behaviors present challenges for compression textile design. My research aims to provide new insights on not only compression textile products or technologies, but also build a systematic platform that supports theoretical analysis, textile/ clothing design, material engineering, performance estimation, devices development, postuse follow-up, and sustained efforts until commercialization to benefit end-users.

The dynamic interaction between a compression textile and the wearer's body triggers mechanoreceptors and sensing networks. It also leads to skin pressure, tissue deformation, and even hemodynamic responses. We have investigated the working mechanism behind the compression and analyzed the sensorial and physiological effects of compression textiles on the user bodies from the perspective of autonomic nervous system, stress hormone, pressure comfort, and routine physiological parameters while applying various pressure levels (10-50mmHg), gradient proportions, and material stiffnesses and elasticities. These fundamental studies provided evidence on biomedical function and user safety of compression textiles in practical settings.

To address ill-fitting problems, a stratified body-shape-driven sizing system was established, based on which the adaptive and customized compression stockings with improved ergonomic fit and user comfort were developed, especially for Asian users. To overcome the side effects of compression, novel methods were designed for predicting and optimizing clothing pressure and human tissue stress by applying numerical simulation and essential material regulation. Compared with the traditional padding-insert approach, the designed unique knitting structures reshaped the pressure profiles to relieve peak pressure while improving pressure comfort sensation and blood circulation of the lower limb in dynamic wear. Through applying hybrid 3D knitting techniques, medical-grade fiber, and bi-axial elasticity and gradient biomechanical design, we innovated a modern compression orthosis to facilitate controlled motion of knee joint and relieve the mixed symptoms of varicose veins and knee pain problems.

Our recent study developed an active wearable compression system to offer controllable proactive pressure (e.g., 0-100mmHg) based on personalized therapeutic recipes. Related studies also extend to other healthcare fields, such as the invented bionic functional footwear for pregnant women, tight-fit garment system for enhancing athletic sports performance, and a new testing system for synchronic tension and pressure control of elastic materials. These research works secured the Golden Pin design award, and Silver Award at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva and underpinned the establishment of China's first industrial standard on 'Healthcare Compression Hosiery'. The developed products have been utilized by the elderly and nursing staff in Tung Wah Group of Hospitals as well as other patients from over 10 hospitals/rehabilitation centers, company employees, and individual consumers to prevent or treat chronic venous insufficiency (e.g., leg fatigue, swelling, varicose veins, and deep vein thrombosis). It has received many positive feedbacks and is critically acclaimed. The research outcomes also underpinned startup businesses and have been commercialized by the textile/apparel industries. Innovating compression textiles is a journey of identifying and resolving the problems experienced by users. Further research works are being undertaken to explore superior approaches to sustainably increase public health and comfort benefits for improved societal quality of life.

創新壓力紡織 提升穿著舒適與健康

功能性壓力紡織品在醫學、保健、復康、運動和個人防護等領域應用愈加廣泛。然而，能有效滿足個人需求的壓力服装設計尚未成熟。儘管臨床和實地研究已證明這類服裝的積極功效，但由於穿用不合體或不舒適而引起的某些副作用和不依從性限制了其實際應用。因此，我的研究致力於探索最佳解決方案, 通過運用多學科技術、人體功效學設計、創新穿戴方式及與多方合作，以有效改善壓力紡織品的用戶體驗和生物醫學功能，提升穿著舒適度和公眾健康。

有別於傳統的整體緊身設計概念，壓力紡織可施加獨特設計的定向壓力、支持或穩定功能於特定身體部位，實現預防、治療或保護目的。個體內部和個體之間在壓力刺激耐受性、體型特徵、症狀嚴重度及使用行為等方面存在差異，爲此類紡織設計帶來挑戰。我的研究旨在對壓力紡織及技術提供新思路，並建立一個系統平台，為理論分析、紡織/ 服裝設計、材料工程、性能評估、設備開發、用後跟進，以及持續努力提供支持，直至產品商業化，令最終穿用者受益。

壓力紡織品和穿戴者身體之間的動態相互作用能觸發力學感受器和感知網絡, 亦會產生皮膚壓力、組織變形，甚至血流動力學反應。我們的研究探索了壓力服裝背後的工作機制，並從自主神經系統、壓力荷爾蒙、壓力舒適度和常規生理參數等角度，分析了壓力紡織品在採用各種程度的壓力（10-50毫米汞柱）、梯度比例、材料硬挺度和彈性時，對穿戴者身體帶來的感官和生理影響。這些基礎研究為壓力紡織品在實際應用時的生物醫學功能和用戶安全提供了參考依據。

為了解決服裝不合體的問題，我們提出了一種新的體型分層尺碼系統，並開發了特別適用于亞洲用戶，具有改進工學合體性和穿戴舒適度的自動適應和定制壓力襪系列。為了解決壓力服裝可能帶來的副作用，我們通過數值建模及材料特性調節，設計了用於預測和優化服裝壓力和人體軟組織應力的新方法。與加入襯墊的傳統技術相比，設計獨特的針織結構有助於重塑壓力分佈，減小局部峰壓，在動態穿著時改善壓力舒適並促進下肢血液循環。通過運用混合3D無縫針織技術、醫用級纖維和雙軸向彈性及梯度生物壓力設計，我們創新研發了一種現代壓力矯形裝置，以協調膝關節的受控活動，緩解下肢靜脈曲張和膝痛等問題。

最近我們研發了一種動態可穿戴壓力治療系統，可根據個人治療方案提供主動可控壓力（例如0-100 毫米汞柱）。相關研究亦擴展到其他醫療保健領域，如仿生孕婦功能足護系統、增強運動效能的緊身服、及用於同步測量彈性物料張力與壓力的全新測試系統等。這些研究成果獲「金點設計獎」 、「日內瓦國際發明銀獎」，也同產業界建立了中國第一個「保健壓力襪」行業標準等。開發的產品已得到廣泛使用，用戶遍及東華三院的老人和護理人員、以及其他十多間醫院和復康中心的患者，企業員工和個人消費者，以用於預防或治療慢性靜脈功能不全（如腿部疲勞、腫脹、靜脈曲張和深靜脈血栓栓塞等）。產品獲得各方積極反饋和好評，研究成果也推動產品商業化，並為初創企業帶來了新的市場發展。創新壓力紡織是一個不斷發現用戶問題並解決問題之旅程。我們正在著手進一步的研究工作，以探索可持續提升大眾健康和穿著舒適的優越方案，務求改善社會生活質素。