A noninvasive bioengineering technology for testing medical monitoring capabilities for conditions of human hypovolemia and hypotension.

Testing new medical monitors and wearable sensors designed to assess patient status under conditions of hypovolemia and/or hypotension are necessary to improve clinical outcomes of individuals with hemorrhagic injuries. Lower body negative pressure (LBNP) has emerged as a bioengineering tool that can induce progressive reductions in central blood volume similar to those experienced by patients during the early stages of physiological compensation during blood loss. The objective of this review is to develop a working framework for biomedical engineering research involving a safe noninvasive human hypovolemia model for the systematic testing of medical monitoring sensors and devices. As a testing tool, this paper provides a summary of the safety and advantages of using LBNP to avoid the use of blood withdrawal approaches compared to actual controlled hemorrhage. In this regard, LBNP provides a safe and non-invasive technology for testing advanced medical monitoring technologies with the potential to improve emergency clinical outcomes.