Primate physiologic data acquisition and analysis for space shuttle

More powerful and more flexible data acquisition, storage, and analysis systems are needed to gain a better understanding of animal (and thus human) physiology in the microgravity environment of space. In view of this, a physiologic acquisition and telemetry system (PATS), a multichannel data acquisition, telemetry, storage, and analysis system, is being developed. PATS is scheduled for use in the Rhesus Research Facility, a joint US/French experiment to be flown aboard Spacelab. PATS is designed to acquire data from units implanted in the abdominal cavities of rhesus monkeys carried in cages on board Spacelab. An implanted DATS (data acquisition and telemetry subsystem) unit permits physiologic parameters to be measured on the test animal with minimum physical restraints and eliminates the need for percutaneous leads that are often the source of infection and discomfort. To obtain feedback from the scientists using the flight version of PATS, a PATS simulator system (PATS-S), separate and distinct from the breadboard system, has been designed and fabricated.<>