VivoMetrics' LifeShirt to Be Studied in CF Trial

The LifeShirt System from VivoMetrics will be used in a multisite clinical trial supported by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to measure and gather data on the breathing patterns of children with cystic fibrosis (CF) between the ages of 3 and 6 years.

The LifeShirt is a noninvasive, light-weight garment with embedded sensors that collect pulmonary, cardiac, posture and activity signals. It is used to monitor respiratory and cardiopulmonary function. The LifeShirt System is based on a miniaturized, ambulatory version of respiratory inductance plethysmography -- a technique for measuring breathing. Breathing is measured via wires embedded in the garment that surround the rib cage and abdomen.

The LifeShirt collects respiratory data while the patient sits quietly reading a book or watching a video. Preschool children may be more easily able to comply with the LifeShirt measurement than with other measures that involve breathing into a mouthpiece while wearing a nose clip. The study objectives include obtaining pulmonary function data that can be used for planning future multicenter clinical trials in preschool children with CF, and better characterizing the natural history of CF lung disease.