The monitor, which is about the size of a hand-held pager, is designed to warn individuals of potentially dangerous or deteriorating aircraft cabin pressure altitude conditions through audio, vibratory and visual alarms. In addition, a lighted digital screen displays a text message of the warning and the specific condition causing the alarm.

The inventor of the device, NASA engineer Jan Zysko, said the monitor operates independently of other aircraft systems and monitors the pressure/time conditions when supplemental oxygen is to be used according to federal aviation regulations.

"For pressurized aircraft, the invention provides an independent warning of cabin pressure altitude where a cabin leak or other reason for pressurization loss might go undetected," Zysko said. "For non-pressurized aircraft, the monitor tracks time and altitude profiles and warns when supplemental oxygen is needed."

The monitor was originally developed to offer Space Shuttle and Space Station crew members added independent notification about any depressurization. Two major incidents spurred Zysko to create the monitor, the Mir/Progress collision in June 1997 and the Payne Stewart aircraft accident in October 1999.

The Technology Programs and Commercialization Office at KSC held a technology licensing industry briefing on the monitor on Oct. 26. About a dozen aerospace companies sent representatives to the briefing to hear a description of the technology and an explanation of the technology licensing process.

Part of the royalties from licenses that this new technology generates will be used to help fund other research and development projects at KSC, which continues to grow as a Spaceport Technology Center. Although KSC's patent licensing program is only four years old, among NASA centers, KSC was the No. 1 producer of licenses during fiscal year 2000.

Licensing Manager Melanie Chan said there are several potential NASA and aviation/aerospace applications for the monitor. Pilots flying both pressurized and non-pressurized aircraft could benefit from the warning system. Human space operations also could use the innovation.

Low-Earth orbit vehicles - the Space Shuttle, Space Station, and Mir - are markets, as well as long-duration/interplanetary vehicles and future planetary habitats. Ground systems also present potential applications including the Mars simulation chamber and pressure/vacuum test chambers at KSC.

Possible applications beyond aviation and aerospace include scuba diving, skydiving, mountain climbing, meteorology, underwater habitats, hyperbolic pressure chambers, altitude chambers, and positive/negative pressure vessels.

"If this technology can help avoid even one incident or accident," Zysco said, "it will have been worth all the effort and resources put forth over this past year."

During the next phase of the monitor's development, Zysko would like to integrate carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors into the unit for more complete aviation and aerospace environmental monitoring.

Zysko pointed out the need for his invention by siting hypoxia and cabin pressure-related incidents contained in various government accident and incident databases.

There are probably many more hypoxia-related incidents and accidents than are listed, Zysco indicated, but in many cases there has been insufficient evidence to determine whether hypoxia was a probable or contributing cause.

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