Textile-based sensors for human breathing monitoring: A systematic review and bibliometric analysis of smart material trajectories

This study presents a bibliometric network analysis, with a specific focus on citation networks of textile-based human respiration monitoring sensors. Drawing on 47 core publications, keyword analysis, research clustering, and main path analysis (MPA), revealed three interconnected research streams: (1) textile-integrated wearable respiratory monitoring systems for clinical and daily monitoring, (2) structure-engineered knitted and fibre-optic sensors exploring sensing mechanics, and (3) humidity-responsive nanomaterial textile sensors for breath monitoring, which often integrated into face masks (Figure 1). MPA traced the maturation of the research field from feasibility demonstrations to validated and user-centric applications, achieved through iterative advances in materials, design, and system integration. These trajectories are synergistic, with knowledge flowing across clusters to drive convergence and pointing toward hybrid, multi-modal sensing platforms as the emerging paradigm for pervasive respiratory health monitoring.