Technical Breakthroughs

Introducing the QUASAR Stream^TM Physiological Monitoring Suite
QUASAR is proud to introduce a revolutionary new wireless system for physiological status monitoring. Our new system is being developed for the US Department of Defense and Homeland Security and will soon to be available to the research market! For more information on the QUASAR Stream^TM, click here to view the product brochure.

QUASAR develops innovative, through-hair hybrid EEG electrodes
Under US Army funding, QUASAR has developed an EEG electrode that works through hair without skin prep or gels. The proprietary QUASAR Hybrid Biosensor is being incorporated into a helmet for dismounted warfighter monitoring (more info), a headset for Command and Control C2 operator monitoring, and QUASAR has spun off a company (www.advancedneurometrics.com) to market the technology for medical applications.

QUASAR Sensors perform comparably to conventional sensing technology in pediatric cardiac monitoring test
Under a Phase I SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Heath, QUASAR conducted a test of its sensing technology in collaboration with Dr. William Scott, a pediatric cardiologist with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. QUASAR’s non contact bioelectrodes were tested simultaneously with conventional sensing technology on infants under the age of 1 year who had been ordered to undergo cardiac monitoring. This study was planned to be a proof of the feasibility of using the QUASAR technology for pediatric cardiac monitoring, but the results surpassed expectations. There was determined to be no statistically significant difference between the performance of the QUASAR technology and the conventional electrodes across five separate correlation metrics. QUASAR and Dr. Scott are very pleased to have achieved such strong results with the basic test modality used in this project and optimistic that further work will yield results measurably better than those obtainable with conventional sensors.

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Clinical trials demonstrate superior capability of QUASAR noncontact sensors in cardiac monitoring
A clinical trial of QUASAR’s non-contacting biosensors to measure ECG involving 40 healthy people of both sexes and a range of sizes was conducted at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) in August and September 2002. The trial subjects wore both QUASAR’s non-contacting electrodes and conventional paste-on electrodes in order to provide a comparison. ECG traces were obtained with subjects sitting and standing still, as well as under light motion. All QUASAR measurements were made through cotton T-shirts that were not modified or prepared in any way. Over all subjects, an independent analysis showed better than 99% mean correlation of R-wave detection between the QUASAR sensors and the conventional electrodes. Additional clinical trials are expected in 2005.

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QUASAR teams with NASA Ames to develop system for silent communication
QUASAR’s goal of continuous innovation is again demonstrated by our latest efforts with Dr. Chuck Jorgensen of NASA Ames to develop a system for silent communication and control. Dr. Jorgensen has pioneered the development of subvocal speech, which is the use of non-audible, electromyographic (EMG) signals from the surface of the larynx and lingual areas of the throat to control devices and communicate silently. It is a new concept, which, if successful, would provide improved communications in acoustically harsh environments, in occluded breathing situations, in covert applications, and in commercial speech recognition systems. Conventional paste-on electrodes, traditionally used for EMG measurements, present a host of problems in practical settings. QUASAR’s sensors provide improved performance and a truly non-invasive interface, which is believed to be necessary for widespread implementation of a subvocal speech system. In recognition of this synergy, NASA and QUASAR have signed a Space Act Agreement covering our collaborative efforts in developing subvocal speech (and other EMG) applications.

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