Dec 30 2010
The Air Force Research Laboratory in association with Technology Solutions Group of QinetiQ North America has jointly devised a Battlefield Automatic Life Status Monitor for detecting the respiration rate, heart rate, activity status and main body temperature.
This devise will help the medical technicians to monitor the health status of the warfighters when they are in the warfield.
The system is equipped with two varied sensors. The wire-free pulse oximetry forehead sensor integrated in the device monitors heart rate, respiration, pulse, and motions and body positions. Another sensor is in the form of a capsule, when ingested will check the interior body temperature, and aids sensing hypothermia, or intense heat. A receiver is provided to gather all the data and for relaying and recording it for future reviews. By this receiver, the medical technicians can communicate with an injured person.
The technology is in the progressive stage and the researchers are aiming to implementing it in the field. This technology will be introduced to enhance remote physiological monitoring in airmen toolkit in the battlefield.
According to Dr. Dianne Popik, Research Audiologist at the Air Force Research Laboratory, previously, the technology was intended for aiding the communication system and was thought to be inserted as an earplug, where the sensors were presumed to interpret the data using an earplug, but the technology is not that miniaturized to perform this activity. Thus this technology has been modified and incorporated with other systems so that the airmen in the war field can wear it.
The research team will be advancing this improved state-of-the art technology in the coming years.