The Development and Application of Bioelectronic Techniques and Systems to Monitor Human Physiological Responses

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-06180A000300170004-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2000
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: May 7, 1963
• Content Type: MF

ease 200 IA-RD P784G180A000 iO#f9' C 004-3'
7 May 1963
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chairman, Research and Development Board
THROUGH : Deputy Director (Support)
SUBJECT : The Development and Application of Bio-electronic
Techniques and Systems to Monitor Human
Physiological Responses
1. In the continuing search for better methods of understanding
health and combating disease, the study of medicine is incorporating
many of the newer technologies. .Among these, the use of electronic
principles and procedures has assumed sufficient importance to warrant
recognition as a separate subdivision of the basic discipline known
as bio-electronics. The emergence and growth of this new biological
approach promise significant change and development. Medical Centers
throughout the country have been stimulated to devote considerable
time and effort to bio-electronic development and application. There
is already a considerable corpus of knowledge on the subject.
2. In addition to medicine's thrust and interest, commercial
organizations have recognized independently the value of applying
electronic techniques to biological phenomena. There have emerged
new companies and sub-organizations devoted to bio-electronic develop-
ment and application. As a result, there are a variety of instruments
available today that may be applied in sundry and particular fashions.
3. The growth of bio-electronics has occurred primarily within
the past five years although analagous techniques have been in develop-
ment much longer. Two years ago, the Medical Staff and the Office of
Security joined together to test some of these new techniques as they
might have application within respective disciplines. As a result of
such studies, it is evident that Agency procedures would be advanced
by adopting some of these newer techniques and that a project for such
purpose is' desirable.
I+.,; The advances in these newer techniques permit measurement of
physiological responses heretofore not possible, with transmission and
recor4ing of data so as to bridge time and space. While these measure-
bl
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ments apply to health and disease, other applications are possi
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including the development and use of polygraph systems for detection
purposes. Even more sophisticated applications have promise in the
field of covert monitoring and surveillance.
5. The promise of the importance of the application of these
new developments to Agency procedures warrants serious consideration.
In our opinion, the Agency, to remain current in its own technology,
eventually must adopt and accept some of these newer techniques. It
is considered timely to identify some of these mechanisms and indicate
areas of possible application. A project for such purpose has been
coordinated by the Medical Staff with the Offices of Security,
Communications,, and the CIA Automatic Data Processing Staff, and has
been forwarded to the Deputy Director (Support). it has also been
presented to the Comptroller and the Deputy Director (Plans).
6. It is requested that opportunity be made available for the
I dical Staff to present the project on bio-electronics to the Research
and Development Board for final consideration.
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Approved For Release 2000/08/21 CIA-RDP78-0618OA000300170004-3
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