VENTURA, Calif., Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The LifeShirt(R) System from VivoMetrics(R) will be used in a new study on human visual attention, to be conducted by researchers at The University of Waterloo in Ontario. The study, titled “A Portable Laboratory for Studying Human Attention in the Real World,” is expected to be the first to shed light on how human attention operates and fails in everyday situations. Noting the importance of the data expected to be gathered by the research, the Canada Foundation for Innovation has issued a grant in support of the project valued at almost $78,000.
Though much is known about the overall topic of human attentiveness and its importance to overall health and performance, the portable LifeShirt System will play a role in enabling researchers to conduct experiments in the field, while subjects are going about daily activities such as driving a car or working in a state of fatigue. As the study’s goal is to understand how physiological processes correlate with one’s focus, the LifeShirt System will be able to non-invasively provide data on subjects’ vital signs, including EEG and respiratory function. Other equipment, including tools designed to track subjects’ eye movement and focus will be incorporated into the research design.
“We are excited to undertake this important research on human attention in realistic settings,” said Dr. Daniel Smilek, Professor of Psychology at The University of Waterloo and director of the study. “The statistics we hope to gain from the research will play a valuable role in the future development of policy regarding safety in several areas that require a high level of direct attention from an individual.”
“In contributing to Dr. Smilek’s work, the LifeShirt is for the first time enabling this kind of research identifying correlations between physiologic response and attention, outside of a laboratory,” said Paul Kennedy, CEO of VivoMetrics. “This study will hopefully produce a greater understanding of how focus, or a lack thereof, contributes to situations encountered by many on a daily basis.”
Smilek expects to have the LifeShirt and other equipment necessary to begin the study in early 2006, with the first results anticipated during the summer of next year.
For more information about VivoMetrics and the LifeShirt System, visit http://www.vivometrics.com.
About the LifeShirt System
The LifeShirt System is the first non-invasive, ambulatory monitoring system that continuously collects, records and analyzes a broad range of cardiopulmonary parameters. Users wear a lightweight, machine washable garment with embedded sensors that collect pulmonary, cardiac, posture and activity signals. Data collected by integrated peripheral devices measure blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, EEG/EOG, periodic leg movement, temperature, end tidal CO2 and cough. An electronic diary captures subjective user input and all physiologic and subject data are correlated over time. The LifeShirt System has received FDA clearance and EMEA approval (CE Mark).
About VivoMetrics
VivoMetrics, founded in 1999, develops and markets an ambulatory monitoring devices and provides services for the collection, analysis and reporting of subject-specific physiologic data. Pharmaceutical companies use VivoMetrics’ technologies to improve the speed and economics of clinical research. The company’s offerings also enable academic researchers to discover new clinical signatures of disease, and U.S. Government agencies to protect the lives of military and civilian first responders.
Contact information: Elizabeth Gravatte Vice President, Sales and Marketing VivoMetrics Inc. 805.275.5834 egravatte@vivometrics.com Paulina Piekarski Connors Communications for VivoMetrics 212.798.1407 liz@connors.com
VivoMetrics Inc.
CONTACT: Elizabeth Gravatte, Vice President, Sales and Marketing ofVivoMetrics Inc., +1-805-275-5834, egravatte@vivometrics.com, or PaulinaPiekarski of Connors Communications, for VivoMetrics Inc., +1-212-798-1407,liz@connors.com
Web site: http://www.vivometrics.com/
