A Portable Vital Signs Monitor For Field Use.

A Canadian Forces requirement exists for a portable, integrated field system for monitoring the vital signs of patients in the field, under adverse, unconventional conditions. A vital signs monitor capable of monitoring heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure in the field, is described in this report. The design has taken into account the need for future expansion, and ease in reprogramming the software, to reflect changing priorities with respect to which signs are to be monitored. A helicopter used in casualty evacuation, has been identified as a worst case condition for exposure to ambient noise, and preliminary trials have been successful in monitoring the three vital signs in this scenario. The device has also been used external to a modified chemical warfare casualty bag, to monitor the vital signs of a person sealed therein.