FDAnews
www.fdanews.com/articles/84903-lifeshirt-system-to-be-used-in-space-station-sleep-study

LIFESHIRT SYSTEM TO BE USED IN SPACE STATION SLEEP STUDY

February 28, 2006

The VivoMetrics LifeShirt System will be used aboard the International Space Station in a study to help improve astronauts' quality of sleep. The study, in partnership with the University of Limerick in Ireland and sponsored by the European Space Agency, will be conducted to evaluate and determine the quality of sleep while in orbit with the goal of providing healthier sleep surroundings for astronauts.

The LifeShirt is a monitoring system that continuously collects, records and analyzes a broad range of cardiopulmonary parameters. The machine-washable garment has embedded sensors to record sleeping activity. While the device detects sleep activity and disturbance by assessing cardiac activity from an electrocardiogram, astronauts will use a PDA to answer a series of sleep-related questions as part of a "sleep diary."

Later this year, German astronaut Thomas Reiter is set to wear the VivoMetrics LifeShirt System aboard the International Space Station.