NASA Names 2003 Inventions of the Year

A device - developed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida - was named both NASA's 2003 Commercial and Government Invention of the Year. The instrument warns of potentially dangerous cabin pressure altitude conditions by independently monitoring aircraft cabin pressure.

NASA's Inventions of the Year are selected by the angency's General Counsel, with the support of the Inventions and Contributions Board (ICB). For detailed information on the winner and nominees, visit http://icb.nasa.gov/invention.html.>NASA Selects Top Invention

NASA engineer Jan Zysko received NASA's 2003 Commercial and Government Invention of the Year Awards for his Cabin Pressure Monitor (CPM). The monitor - a hand-held, portable, life-saving instrument - was selected in both categories for its application and adaptability to both commercial and government uses.

Zysko joined NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), FL, at the KSC Space Shuttle Operations Directorate in 1988. In 1998, Zysko moved to the KSC Sensor Development Laboratory where he developed a number of new technologies. He works on unique projects related to sensor and scientific research systern development, such as developing a gas-powered gun to fire foam projectiles at Space Shuttle-like panels and wing structures for return-to-flight technical assessments.

Zysko and a team from KSC developed the CPM technology from concept to prototype to commercialization in less than 12 months for less than $100,000. The instrument was originally developed to give Space Shuttle and International Space Station crewmembers an additional, independent notification of any depressurization events. It now offers pilots the ability to warn of potentially dangerous cabin pressure altitude conditions by monitoring cabin pressure to determine when supplemental oxygen should be used according to Federal Aviation Regulations. The device benefits both pressurized and non-pressurized aircraft operations.

If cabin pressure falls and the human body is exposed to high altitudes without protection it can cause a condition known as hypoxia, which can pose a serious risk to aircraft pilots, crewmembers, and passengers. Defined as an insufficient supply of oxygen to the body's tissues, hypoxia affects the central nervous system and organs. Brain cells can die within 5 minutes after the oxygen supply has been cut off, and when hypoxia lasts for longer periods of time, it can cause coma, seizures, and even brain death.

The NASA Biomedical Engineering Laboratory purchased several CPMs to add to the inventory of emergency medical equipment used to support air medical evacuation. In its initial NASA application, the device protected workers in the Kennedy Space Center Mars Simulation Chamber from an accidental pump down to a high altitude condition.

As part of the NASA Technology Transfer Program, Kennedy awarded a patent license to Kelly Manufacturing Co., Grenola, KS, the largest manufacturer of general aviation aircraft instruments in the world. The company commercialized the monitor, which resulted in the PCM 1000. The device is approximately the size and weight of a personal pager, and features simultaneous audio, vibratory, and visual warnings that alert the user to possible hypoxia-causing conditions.

Kelly Aviation, a subsidiary of Kelly Manufacturing, produced the first models for sale in March 2003. Although the device is not an FAA certified flight instrument, it can serve as a viable alternative for determining altitude in an emergency situation or as a simple check of primary instrument function. In addition to the aerospace and aviation industries, applications for this technology also exist within the areas of scuba diving, skydiving, mountain climbing, meteorology, altitude chambers, and underwater habitats.