Cobham to develop life support system able to predict and prevent hypoxic symptoms

Orchard Park, New York: A Cobham team has secured gas sensing technology, by license agreement, for integration into its suite of military oxygen systems to mitigate pilot hypoxia risk. Although relatively rare, hypoxic events resulting in unperceived mental and physical impairment due to a lack of oxygen in the brain have been reported on numerous fighter aircraft over the past five years with no known root cause or resolution. Cobham has partnered with and supported the licensor, Orbital Research Inc., during development of its gas sensing technology which will retrofit onto existing life support equipment.

"Hypoxia can go unrecognized until it's too late to recover from a loss of control of the aircraft. This licensing agreement lays the groundwork for Cobham to develop a fully integrated life support system that will be able to predict and prevent hypoxic like symptoms before they occur",said Cobham's Stuart Buckley, Senior Director, Business Development and Sales.  Dr. Frederick Lisy, President of Orbital Research stated, "We have been developing this technology over the last six years and are happy to have Cobham as a partner to take the technology into fielded systems."Cobham's next generation life support systems will measure several variables in the aircraft oxygen system while monitoring the pilot's physiological state.  Should a problem occur, the system will allow for corrective action to ensure the pilot's physiological state remains uncompromised.

Tim Sopko, Vice President, General Manager, Cobham Mission Systemssaid,"This agreement is further evidence of Cobham's strategy to invest in next generation life support systems, with gas / hypoxia sensing identified as a key technology needed to satisfy our customer's needs." Cobham ultimately aims to be the leading provider of hypoxia management solutions by integrating the gas sensing technology into its world leading, highly successful suite of On-Board Oxygen Generating Systems (OBOGS), pilot and aircraft mounted oxygen regulators, and parachutist oxygen systems.

About Orbital Research

Orbital Research Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio is an expert in designing, building, and testing miniaturised, ruggedized sensor, actuator and electronic systems.  Orbital integrates its sensor and control technologies into a variety of products including physiologic sensing systems, miniaturised low cost actuation systems, and high temperature electronics.  Orbital is dedicated to developing and commercialising innovative products and delivering superior technical services to its customers.

About Cobham Mission Systems

The most capable critical control solutions for extreme environments.

As the world's leading supplier of critical control solutions, we help our customers to increase the safety and mission capabilities of their personnel and equipment in extreme environments.

Our proven and trusted solutions in air-to-air refuelling, life support, weapons carriage and unmanned systems, deliver assured performance and class-leading through-life costs that enable our customers to bring complex projects to market quickly, and with minimal risk.

About Cobham

The most important thing we build is trust.

We protect lives and livelihoods with our differentiated technology and know-how, operating with a deep insight into customer needs and agility. Our innovative range of technologies and services solve challenging problems in harsh environments across commercial, defence and security markets, from deep space to the depths of the ocean, specialising in meeting the growing demand for data, connectivity and bandwidth.

We employ more than 12,000 people on five continents, and have customers and partners in over 100 countries, with market leading positions in: wireless, audio, video and data communications, including satellite communications; defence electronics; air-to-air refuelling; aviation services; life support and mission equipment.

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