Wearable item for increased application of nutrients

Abstract

A wearable item is formed of conductive fibers and non-conductive fibers. Encapsulated nutrients are placed on the non-conductive fibers. A voltage is placed on the conductive lines in order to induce an electric field so that the effective absorption rate of the nutrients through the skin of a user is increased.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A wearable item for applying nutrients to a user, the wearable item comprising:
 a plurality of non-conductive fibers;   nutrients embedded within the plurality of non-conductive fibers;   a power source;   a plurality of conductive fibers interwoven with the plurality of non-conductive fibers and formed into an item configured to be worn by a user, the plurality of conductive fibers being operatively coupled to the power source; and   a processor-based nutrient applicator operatively coupled to the plurality of conductive fibers and the power source, the processor-based nutrient applicator selectively causing the power source to deliver an electrical pulse to the plurality of conductive fibers to cause the plurality of conductive fibers to apply an electric field from about 25 V/m to about 125 V/m to a portion of the skin of the user to induce an electroporation effect and thereby increase a permeability of the portion of the skin with respect to the nutrients.   
     
     
         21 . The wearable item of  claim 20 , wherein the processor-based nutrient applicator is configured to selectively apply (A) a first voltage to the plurality of conductive fibers to cause the plurality of conductive fibers to induce the electroporation effect and (B) a second voltage to the plurality of conductive fibers to cause the plurality of conductive fibers to induce nutrient release, the second voltage being greater than the first voltage. 
     
     
         22 . The wearable item of  claim 20 , wherein the processor-based nutrient applicator is a removable dongle, and wherein the wearable item further comprises an interface configured to secure the removable dongle to the wearable item and to control a proximity of the removable dongle to the skin of the user. 
     
     
         23 . The wearable item of  claim 22 , wherein the interface is a first interface, and wherein the removable dongle comprises a user interface configured to display at least one of an amount of nutrients carried by the wearable item, an amount of energy available to the wearable item for inducing the electroporation effect, and user biometric data. 
     
     
         24 . A wearable item for applying nutrients to a user, the wearable item comprising:
 a plurality of non-conductive fibers;   nutrients embedded within the plurality of non-conductive fibers;   a power source comprising a plurality of photovoltaic cells;   a plurality of conductive fibers interwoven with the plurality of non-conductive fibers and formed into an item configured to be worn by a user, the plurality of conductive fibers being configured to receive an electrical pulse from the power source and apply an electric field from about 25 V/m to about 125 V/m to a portion of the skin of the user to induce an electroporation effect and thereby increase a permeability of the portion of the skin with respect to the nutrients; and   a processor-based nutrient applicator configured to selectively cause the power source to deliver the electrical pulse to the plurality of conductive fibers to cause the plurality of conductive fibers to apply the electric field to the skin of the user.   
     
     
         25 . The wearable item of  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of photovoltaic cells are incorporated on the item configured to be worn by the user. 
     
     
         26 . The wearable item of  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of photovoltaic cells are integrated into at least one of the plurality of non-conductive fibers and the plurality of conductive fibers. 
     
     
         27 . The wearable item of  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of photovoltaic cells are ultraviolet (UV) reactive cells. 
     
     
         28 . The wearable item of  claim 24 , wherein the nutrients are selected from a group consisting essentially of: water-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins. 
     
     
         29 . The wearable item of  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of non-conductive fibers include at least one of the following: bamboo fibers, ramie fibers, hydrophobic cotton fibers or hydrophilic cotton cellulose fibers. 
     
     
         30 . The wearable item of  claim 24 , wherein the nutrients include a first nutrient type and a second nutrient type, and the nutrients of the first nutrient type are embedded within a first region of the wearable item and the nutrients of the second nutrient type are embedded within a second region of the wearable item, wherein the first region is different than the second region. 
     
     
         31 . The wearable item of  claim 24 , wherein the processor-based nutrient applicator is a removable dongle, and wherein the wearable item further comprises an interface configured to secure the removable dongle to the wearable item and to control a proximity of the removable dongle to the skin of the user. 
     
     
         32 . The wearable item of  claim 31 , wherein the interface is a first interface, and wherein the removable dongle comprises a user interface configured to display at least one of an amount of nutrients carried by the wearable item, an amount of energy available to the wearable item for inducing the electroporation effect, and user biometric data. 
     
     
         33 . The wearable item of  claim 24 , further comprising a visual indicator configured to convey information regarding an amount of nutrients coupled to the plurality of non-conductive fibers. 
     
     
         34 . The wearable item of  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of conductive fibers are flexible. 
     
     
         35 . The wearable item of  claim 24 , wherein the nutrients are enclosed in vesicles. 
     
     
         36 . The wearable item of  claim 35 , wherein the electric field is configured to disperse the nutrients from the vesicles. 
     
     
         37 . The wearable item of  claim 24 , wherein the processor-based nutrient applicator is configured to selectively apply (A) a first voltage to the plurality of conductive fibers to cause the plurality of conductive fibers to induce the electroporation effect and (B) a second voltage to the plurality of conductive fibers to cause the plurality of conductive fibers to induce nutrient release, the second voltage being greater than the first voltage.