Lung volume measurement for large animals

emkaPACK4G is a non-invasive telemetry system, widely used in large animal studies to monitor the physiology of freely moving large animals, such as dogs, primates, sheep or minipigs,
An external transmitter is worn into a jacket and monitors respiration based on inductive plethysmography. Thorax & abdomen volumes measurements are captured non-invasively, wirelessly transmitted by Bluetooth to a receiver and processed to derive pulmonary parameters.
Benefits
Non-invasive
Can be used for inhalation studies
Long term recording on several animals
Description
Bluetooth data transmission prevents any data cross-talk, allowing each subject to freely to move, single or group-housed in its room, during the acquisition (max. 32 to 48 subjects per room).
The whole system is compact, with:
- One external emkaPACK4G transmitter worn by each subject, into a jacket.
- Belts,directly connected to the emkaPACK4G transmitter
- One or several receivers positioned in the animals’ room, within 10 meters distance from their associated transmitters. A single receiver can communicate with up to 16 transmitters and is powered and transmits data through a single Ethernet cable.

emkaPACK4G takes full advantage of emka TECHNOLOGIES software suite:
- Lung volume acquisition in iox software
- Easy & seamless calibration of respiration belts
- Information on belt connection by software
- Synchronized video
- Analysis with ecgAUTO RIP (Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography) module, to produce the following list of parameters : Duration of breath, duration of inspiration/expiration, breathing rate, inspired/expired volume, minute volume, max flow during inspiration/expiration, thorax-abdomen shift – time or angle (when 2 belts used)
In addition to respiration through thorax and abdominal inductance belts, emkaPACK4G optionally allows the acquisition of:
- 9 lead ECG
- temperature
- posture & activity (3 axis + total acceleration)
- blood pressure from oscillometric cuff (NIBP), easyTEL+ implant or vascular access port (VAP)

Related publications
Comparative respiratory function evaluation in two canine myopathies using respiratory inductance plethysmography
Inès Barthélémy et al, poster, 2014
Evaluation of Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography Using the EMKAbelt System in the Conscious Dog and Primate
Meecham et al, Poster presented by Huntingdon Life Sciences, UK