Portable Non-invasive Sensing Array for Cardiophysiological Monitoring

Through recent manned spacecraft expeditions, it has become clear that there are significant hazardous features that affect the health and vitality of space crewmembers. To make extended manned space missions a practical reality, it is critical to monitor and to provide countermeasures for a variety of health threats. These monitoring and remediation systems must also fit the space environment, must be lightweight and unobtrusive, and must provide continuous monitoring, recording and reporting of crewmembers? vital signs. Intelligent Optical Systems (IOS) proposes just such a system. It meets the critical need for a portable, unobtrusive sensing array system, in situations where ambulatory equipment is not available. This integrated system will facilitate important medical decisions, leading to improved crew health. The design uses advanced optical fiber sensing technologies to measure the electrical activity of the heart and arterial blood pressure, together with sophisticated digital data acquisition and real-time signal processing modules. The proposed integrated system can be used continuously without limiting the physical activity or dexterity of the crewmember. By the end of Phase II, IOS will produce a system prototype that will be capable of acquiring human ECG and blood pressure measurements using an array of optical sensors.