NASA - National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
www.nasa.gov
Portable Unit for Metabolic Analysis (PUMA)
OVERVIEW
The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has developed an innovative device that
measures the six key quantities (oxygen, carbon dioxide, flow, temperature, pressure,
and heart rate) needed to evaluate human metabolic function. PUMA is a
rugged, self-contained, portable device capable of measuring metabolic function at
rest, during exercise, in clinical settings, or in the field using the following features:
• Battery powered and self-contained
• Electronics box fits into a small wearable pack (Camelback)
• Wireless transmission to remote laptop via Bluetooth
• Key sensors located close to the mouth
• Reconfigurable sensors for integration into a variety of systems
• Display and alerts can be customized
BENEFITS
• Highly timed-resolved measurements of all relevant quantities, eliminating timing
issues present in other devices
• Integration of gas concentration profiles to obtain breath-by-breath analysis
• Superior technology allowing for measurements of both volume-averaged and
end-tidal gas
• Placement of essential sensors closer to the mouth than other units, eliminating
common timing problems and allowing for the sampling of a larger portion of both
the inhale and exhale stream
APPLICATIONS
PUMA’s targeted applications include a variety of situations where basic physiological
measurements are required, including
• Determining the caloric requirements of daily living activities for development of
dietary/nutrition/weight-loss programs
• Field testing, training, and coaching of athletes to optimize performance and
design training programs
• Obtaining occupational fitness evaluations
(e.g., Department of Defense and fire fighters)
to develop training programs and determine
metabolic cost of varied activities
• Performing nutritional studies to determine
the effect of certain foods on metabolic rate
in a clinical environment
• Assessing the nutritional requirements of
critical care patients to develop appropriate
diets
• Performing periodic evaluations of fitness
center clientele
• Performing in-office measurements of obese
patients to develop and optimize diet and
exercise programs
Prototype PUMA unit.
Space Administration
www.nasa.gov
Portable Unit for Metabolic Analysis (PUMA)
OVERVIEW
The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has developed an innovative device that
measures the six key quantities (oxygen, carbon dioxide, flow, temperature, pressure,
and heart rate) needed to evaluate human metabolic function. PUMA is a
rugged, self-contained, portable device capable of measuring metabolic function at
rest, during exercise, in clinical settings, or in the field using the following features:
• Battery powered and self-contained
• Electronics box fits into a small wearable pack (Camelback)
• Wireless transmission to remote laptop via Bluetooth
• Key sensors located close to the mouth
• Reconfigurable sensors for integration into a variety of systems
• Display and alerts can be customized
BENEFITS
• Highly timed-resolved measurements of all relevant quantities, eliminating timing
issues present in other devices
• Integration of gas concentration profiles to obtain breath-by-breath analysis
• Superior technology allowing for measurements of both volume-averaged and
end-tidal gas
• Placement of essential sensors closer to the mouth than other units, eliminating
common timing problems and allowing for the sampling of a larger portion of both
the inhale and exhale stream
APPLICATIONS
PUMA’s targeted applications include a variety of situations where basic physiological
measurements are required, including
• Determining the caloric requirements of daily living activities for development of
dietary/nutrition/weight-loss programs
• Field testing, training, and coaching of athletes to optimize performance and
design training programs
• Obtaining occupational fitness evaluations
(e.g., Department of Defense and fire fighters)
to develop training programs and determine
metabolic cost of varied activities
• Performing nutritional studies to determine
the effect of certain foods on metabolic rate
in a clinical environment
• Assessing the nutritional requirements of
critical care patients to develop appropriate
diets
• Performing periodic evaluations of fitness
center clientele
• Performing in-office measurements of obese
patients to develop and optimize diet and
exercise programs
Prototype PUMA unit.
Download Image
› Full SizePUMA Headgear
NASA engineer Dan Dietrich and a team of scientists at Glenn developed the Portable Unit for Metabolic Analysis (PUMA) to monitor the oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production rates of astronauts exercising during long missions. The portable unit was designed to give the crew the ability to move around the spacecraft without being tethered to a large immovable unit.PUMA measures six components to evaluate metabolic function: oxygen and carbon dioxide partial pressure, volume flow rate, heart rate, and gas pressure and temperature. From those measurements, PUMA can compute the oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide output and minute ventilation (average expired gas flow rate). A small, embedded computer takes readings of each sensor and relays the data wirelessly to a remote computer via Bluetooth.
Image Credit: NASA
NASA
Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui
ayabaca@gmail.com
ayabaca@hotmail.com
ayabaca@yahoo.com
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