High Reliability, Miniature Personal Hypoxia Monitoring System Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Topic No.: N091-018 Topic Title: High Reliability, Miniature Personal Hypoxia Monitoring System Proposal No.: N091-018-0595 Firm: Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc. 44 Hunt Street Watertown, Massachusetts 02472-4699 Contact: Rajan Gurjar Phone: (617) 668-6800 Web Site: http://www.rmdinc.com Abstract: Accidental reduction in the oxygen available to a fighter pilot at high altitudes can lead to insidious hypoxia, where symptoms are almost unnoticeable before loss of consciousness in less than a minute. Under such situations, an accurate hypoxia monitoring unit that can predict the early onset of hypoxia - leaving sufficient time for the pilot to take remedial action - is essential. The existing commercially available technique for hypoxia monitoring, pulse oximetry, measures arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO2), but has been proven an unreliable technique for the monitoring of in-flight hypoxia. Radiation Monitoring Devices (RMD) proposes to develop a real-time, versatile near infrared spectroscopic (NIRS) instrument that can detect the onset of hypoxia with minimal false positive and false negative rates. The NIRS instrument will simultaneously measure multiple physiological parameters apart from the blood oxygen saturation, in order to infer the onset of hypoxia with no false negative rates. The instrument will also have no false positives that can cause unnecessary distraction to the pilot during crucial situations. For comfort and safety reasons, the instrument will be made highly compact and non-invasive, and will not interfere with any of the numerous life supporting equipment worn by the pilot. Additionally, the monitor will take into account the statistical variation in an individual's response to altitude and reduced pressure, to improve its accuracy and make it more universal. The Phase II prototype will be tested in hypobaric chambers used for pilot training at the end of the program. Benefits: Hypoxia is defined as a pathological condition where the entire body or parts of it are affected by a reduction in oxygen availability. Hypoxia can be caused by various reasons including restricted flow of blood and oxygen to tissues (stagnant hypoxia), reduced oxygen carrying capacity of blood (hypemic hypoxia), increased carbon-dioxide which decreases cells'''''''' ability to utilize oxygen (histotoxic hypoxia), and reduced availability of oxygen (hypoxic hypoxia). Hypoxia manifests itself readily as decreased blood oxygenation saturation, and is associated with a wide variety of symptoms that vary in intensity between individuals. A hypoxia monitor has applications in all of the above mentioned cases. DOD's interest in a hypoxia monitoring instrument is for use by fighter pilots subjected to accidental oxygen deprivation due to instrument malfunctioning. The market for a compact instrument also includes soldiers on the field with major injuries and hemorrhages who are in danger of cardiac arrest, and can be monitored for the intensity of hypoxia during immediate medical assistance. A hypoxia monitoring instrument is also useful for mountaineers who are exposed to low pressures at high altitudes, to airline crews subjected to sudden decompression, in emergency rooms and intensive care units to monitor the vital signs of patients with hemorrhages and blood loss, as well as during surgeries. In post-natal units, infants and newborns subjected to hypoxia can face severe developmental consequences if it is not detected and rectified in time. Return