DISPERSED TELEMETRY SYSTEM FOR MEASUREMENT OF BODY TEMPERATURES

WE ARE FUNDED BY A JOINT ARMY-NAVY-AIR FORCE PROGRAM TO DEVELOP AND PRODUCE AN INGESTIBLE, DISPOSABLE TEMPERATURE TELEMETRY PILL, A COMPUTER-CONTROLLED RECEIVER AND RETRANSMITTER, A SEPARATE-COMPUTER CONTROLLED SIX-CHANNEL DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM (ECG, SURFACE TEMPERATURE, ACTIVITY, ETC.), AND A SEPARATE COMPUTER TO ANALYZE INPUT DATA TO DETERMINE INCIPENT LOSS OF THERMOREGULATION AND WARN BEARER, COHORTS, AND BASE OF IMMINENT DANGER. THIS 0.5 LITER VOLUME INTERCATIVE SYSTEM CAN BE USED FOR THIS APPLICATION, REGARDING PACKAGING MODIFICATIONS FOR HYPERBARIC APPLICATION, HYDROPHONE INTERFACE, SALINE SONIC TRANSMISSION CHARACTERISTICS, AND LIKE CONCERNS. PROTOTYPE RECEIVERS AND PILLS HAVE BEEN BUILT AND TESTED. WE PROPOSE TO EXTEND THIS TECHNOLOGY SO THAT ALL TEMPERATURE SENSORS ARE COUPLED TO MINIATURE TRANSMITTERS, FREEING THE DIVER FROM ENCUMBERING INSTRUMENTATION HARNESSES, AND FREEING PHYSIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS OF THE NEED TO CHANGE HARNESSES TO SUIT DIFFERENT PHYSIQUES AND CHANGING EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS. WE PROPOSE DELIVERABLE HARDWARE (PILLS, TRANSCEIVERS, BASE STATION) USED IN A NEAR SUFACE SALINE ENVIRONMENT OR AIR. WE SHALL PROGRAM THE RECEIVER TO MONITOR MULTIPLE TRANSMITTERS AND RELAY THE DATA. WE SHALL TEST INTRA-SYSTEM RF PROPAGATION IN THE SALINE AND ON SHIPBOARD, AND STUDY OTHER SYSTEM INTERCATIONS (HYDROPHONE, DISPLAY, ETC.). A MULTIPARAMETER PHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORING SYSTEM FREE FROM THE NEED OF CABLE HOOKUPS WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE, LESS HAMPERING, AND SAFER. SUCH A SYSTEM WOULD SIMPLIFY INSTALLATION OF A VARIETY OF SENSOR TYPES, ON DIFFERENT PHYSIQUES AND SITES. THE SMALL SIZE OF INDIVIDUAL TRANSMITTERS AND THE MASTER RECEIVER WOULD MAKE DATA ACQUISITION FEASIBLE IN A LOW-TECH ENVIRONMENT (FIRE-FIGHTERS, CHEMICAL SPILL WORKERS, ATHLETES, ORTHOPEDIC REHABILITATION) AS WELL AS FOR DIVERS.