LSU researcher presents thermochromic infant hat that changes color at 98.6°F; patent filed
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Summary
Assistant professor Dr. Sabe Shaw described a prototype infant hat that uses thermochromic yarn to signal elevated forehead temperature, reported early user testing and funding sources and said a non‑provisional patent has been filed.
Dr. Sabe Shaw, assistant professor in the Department of Textiles, Apparel Design and Merchandising at LSU A&M, presented research on an infant temperature‑monitoring hat that uses customized thermochromic yarn to change color at a set threshold, 98.6 °F.
Shaw told the board she and colleagues were motivated by higher rates of sudden unexpected infant death in Louisiana and that temperature dysregulation is a known factor. The prototype uses a thermochromic yarn that remains purple at typical room temperatures and becomes white when heated above the selected threshold; the remainder of the hat is ordinary cotton knit to preserve comfort.
She said initial funds came from a provost office award in 2023, that the team conducted testing and consumer surveys with more than 100 potential users including parents, physicians, nurses and daycare workers, and that the work produced two journal articles. Shaw said the team filed a non‑provisional patent this year and is speaking with a smart‑yarn company to add additional sensing capabilities such as breath detection.
"We requested the yarn be customized so that it changes color at 98.6," Shaw said during her presentation, explaining the decision to tune the thermochromic threshold to the conventional fever boundary.
Shaw said future work will seek funding to add breath sensing and other features to broaden use for other vulnerable groups with temperature‑regulation challenges. She thanked the provost, the college and departmental supporters for provost office sponsorship and departmental backing for the project.
Ending: The board’s members praised the work as an example of scholarship that moves from lab research to potential consumer impact; no formal board action was taken on the presentation.
