title: Microcomputer-based monitoring of cardiovascular functions in simulated microgravity.
abstract: A microcomputer-based system for non-invasive monitoring of cardiovascular system in simulated microgravity is described.  The system evaluates automatically, accurately and interactively heart beat intervals, beat-to-beat non-invasive finger arterial blood pressure (systolic, diastolic, mean and pulse pressure) using a Finapres device and beat-to-beat changes of thoracic blood volume using impedance changes.  In addition, beat-to-beat evaluation of cardiac mechanical function including left ventricular ejection time, diastolic time, systolic time intervals, left ventricular ejection fraction estimate and several other contractility parameters, left ventricular volume, stroke volume and cardiac output estimates are performed with high degree of automaticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiology, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tahvanainen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Länsimies
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tikkanen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hartikainen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kärki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lyyra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mäntysaari
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004562:Electrocardiography; D018475:Head-Down Tilt / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008838:Microcomputers / Q000592:standards*; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013026:Space Flight / Q000295:instrumentation; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D014893:Weightlessness; D018474:Weightlessness Simulation