Real-Time Telemetry Health and Safety Monitoring System Design and Implementation in a High Risk Training Environment

Abstract

Shallow water black-outs (SWBs) occur in all areas of the Department of Defense during training programs throughout the pipeline as well as in operations. Victims of SWBs usually lose consciousness within 15 feet of the surface, where expanding, oxygen-hungry lungs of breath-hold divers literally suck oxygen from their blood. SWBs are particularly frequent in environments that induce overexertion or self-induced breath holds. Hyperventilating adds very little oxygen to an individuals reserve, forcing carbon dioxide out of the lungs. Carbon dioxide is the trigger to the brain to breathe. Aquatic skills and water confidence training is a combat proven process and is an inter-service performance standard. This training however, is accompanied by certain levels of inherent and historical training risk. Trainee hypoxic episodes and shallow water blackouts are a common byproduct and are an assumed known constant during aquatic confidence training. The purpose of this effort is to develop and validate a heart rate and SpO2 sensor for real-time monitoring during water confidence training. Success in this program will reduce the probability of trainee fatalities.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2019
Accession Number
AD1105953

Entities

People

  • Bethany L. Repp
  • Brian Farrall
  • Corey D. Mack
  • Dalton J. Miller
  • David J. Fiebus
  • David P. Sardo
  • Douglas C. Issacks
  • Greg Hayes
  • Gregory M. Burnett
  • Griffin D. Romigh
  • Patrick L. Wilson
  • Pete Lanace
  • Regina M. Shia

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory
  • Human Systems Integration, Inc.
  • Infoscitex, Inc.
  • Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
  • Torrey Pines Logic (United States)
  • Vital Tech

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Department Of Defense
  • Detectors
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Environment
  • Heart Rate
  • Human Systems Integration
  • Medical Personnel
  • Monitoring
  • Motor Skills
  • Patent Applications
  • Product Development
  • Professional Development
  • Shallow Water
  • Software Development
  • Standards
  • Trainees
  • Training
  • United States Special Operations Command
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Educational Psychology
  • Marine Mammal Biology