A mobile physiological data acquisition system for clinical research

The S.R. Powers Trauma Research Center at Albany Medical Center makes a wide variety of standard and specially designed physiological measurements on injured patients. To overcome the disadvantages of admitting patients to a single bed research unit, a mobile data acquisition system was designed to study patients in the Intensive Care Unit, Burn Unit, Emergency Room, and Recovery Room. This mobile system acquires data using microcomputer controlled data acquisition and communicates via modem with a larger computer located in the Trauma Unit Research Center. The laboratory computer performs data analysis and returns results to the instrument cart at the bedside. A dry spirometer, which is reset on inspiration by the mechanical ventilators, was designed, built, and incorporated into the cart for measuring expired gas volumes and flows.