Design of smart functional apparel products for Moxa Moxibustion

Li Li, Wai Man Au, Feng Ding, Kwok Shing Wong

Research output: Chapter in book / Conference proceedingConference article published in proceeding or bookAcademic researchpeer-review

Abstract

Moxa Moxibustion is a common traditional Chinese therapy in which burning Moxa is applied to affected body areas. This method has been employed for thousands of years to achieve certain medical objectives, such as pain relief or anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. Its therapeutic effectiveness has been demonstrated successfully both in research and clinical studies. However, this traditional approach may cause undesirable side effects, for example: 1) burning of Moxa produces by-products such as smoke and ash; 2) patients are at risk of being burnt; 3) the active ingredients of the Moxa leaf oil are volatile, odorous, unstable in air and easy to dissipate, and difficult to store and transport; 4) it is inconvenient to operate. These side effects limit its further high-potential and high-value applications. This study is aimed at developing a multi-functional smart textile system that will adopt smart fabrics containing encapsulated Moxa oil integrated with thermally conductive materials to replace the conventional Moxa products. This will efficiently deliver the active ingredients of Moxa to a human body at optimum conditions, i.e., in a precise and controllable way, with maximum convenience and a high level of comfort. Doing so would solve the existing problems mentioned above. Both garment design skill and textile technology will be applied to Moxa Moxibustion textile to enhance the aesthetics and functionality. The smart garment performance will be assessed subjectively in a clinical trial and objectively by a number of instrumental methods.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationFiber Society Spring 2013 Technical Conference
PublisherFiber Society
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2013
Event2013 Spring Technical Conference of the Fiber Society - Geelong, VIC, Australia
Duration: 22 May 201324 May 2013

Conference

Conference2013 Spring Technical Conference of the Fiber Society
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CityGeelong, VIC
Period22/05/1324/05/13

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Materials Science

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