COMPUTERIZED SHIRT MONITORS BREATHING OF PATIENTS WITH CF

USA – The Lifeshirt developed by VivoMetrics collects respiratory data through a miniature, portable computer system. It measures breathing, heart, posture and activity data via electrodes and wires embedded in the garment that surround the patients’ rib cage and abdomen. The sensors measure such body signals as blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, periodic leg movements, temperature, carbon dioxide levels and coughs. An electronic diary captures all the input and keeps track of it minute by minute. The doctors’ clinical trials, funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, are looking at the unique wired wear as a non-invasive way to get needed medical data with the least amount of hassle for patients.

“We’re hoping to be able to detect change in the clinical status of sick CF patients when they come into the hospital,” Dr. Scott Donaldson said.

Dr. Stephanie Davis is planning to start her experiments on children 3 to 6 years old with CF, transmitting data from electrodes embedded in the Spandex cloth to small collection computers in a shirt pouch for later removal and clinical analysis.

The children’s trial is to evaluate the LifeShirt in about 100 patients at five medical centers. They’ll compare the shirt against two more traditional measures of lung function — spirometry (blowing into tube attached to a meter box to measure air flow and volume) and forced cillometry (a newer technique for measuring lung capacity on
children and others unable to use Spirometers effectively).

Source: Computerized shirt monitors breathing of patients with CF, The Herald-Sun
(Durham, NC), June 7 2005.
Further Info: www.vivometrics.com