Pulmonary function evaluation in air and space flight.

I D E A L pulmonary function monitoring for air and space flight is one which will permit constant monitoring with a minimum of equipment on the pilot or astronaut. Also desirable is a technique which places small requirements on the pilot or astronaut. Within these limitations it would be desirable, of course, to have as broad a readout as possible. Because of the difficulty of administering individual tests, and because of the limited readout from them, the usual pulmonary function tests are not adequate for inflight evaluation of pulmonary function. What is required, then, is a new concept in pulmonary function evaluation which is adaptable to continuous inflight monitoring. The velocity-volume (V'-V) loop gives proinise of being such a test. Since the V'-V loop technique is a new concept in pulmonary function monitoring, it will be necessary to describe first the nature of the test and second, its adaptation to inflight monitoring will be presented.