Smart shirt tracks vital signs of astronauts aboard space station

April 27 (UPI) -- Over the last month, astronauts aboard the International Space Station have been testing out a new "smart shirt" designed to track the physiological effects of life in microgravity.

Instead of measuring the vital signs of astronauts using several separate devices, the Bio-Monitor shirt integrates a variety of sensors in a non-intrusive tank top.

So, rather than strapping in or hooking up to different health monitoring devices throughout the workday, astronauts can simply slip on the smart shirt and go about their duties.

Researchers are scheduled to share the results of early experiments using the Bio-Monitor shirt at this week's annual meeting of the American Physiological Society, part of the Experimental Biology conference.

"Until now, the heart rate and activity levels of astronauts were monitored by separate devices," first author Carmelo Mastrandrea said in a press release.

The shirt allows for "simultaneous and continuous direct measurements" of heart and breathing rate, oxygen levels in the blood, blood pressure, physical activity and temperature, according to Mastrandrea, a postdoctoral fellow at the Schlegel-University of Waterlook Research Institute for Aging in Canada.

For the initial experiments, astronauts wore the smart shirt for 72 hours prior to the trip to the space station and then again for 72 hours while aboard ISS.

The shirt's sensors and accelerometer performed as expected, delivering accurate, timely data.

The data will help scientists better understand how microgravity influences both short-term physical performance and physiological changes over time.

"By monitoring continuously and non-intrusively, we remove the psychological impacts of defined testing periods from astronaut measurements," Mastrandrea said.

"Additionally, we are able to gather information during normal activities over several days, including during daily activities and sleep, something that traditional testing cannot achieve," Mastrandrea said.

Initial tests confirmed what previous studies have shown, that astronauts exert much less physical effort during their time in space, which at least partially explains why astronauts experience muscle atrophy and declines in bone density after spending several weeks in microgravity.

The shirt, which was designed and developed for the Canadian Space Agency by engineers at Carré Technologies, could also be used to monitor astronauts for potential health problems as they readjust to life on Earth.

Carré Technologies researchers developed the Bio-Monitor shirt using their commercially available Hexoskin tank top, which scientists are also using to measure physical performance in other extreme environments here on Earth.