NATIONAL SPACE BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH INSTITUTE
RESEARCH INSTITUTE
| Bloodless Surgery Tumor Removal, Internal Bleeding Treatment and Kidney Stone Reduction Dr. Lawrence A. Crum is developing a portable, lightweight, ultrasound-based device that would be used for both diagnosis and therapy. This device will combine imaging ultrasound with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to detect and to treat such conditions as internal bleeding and benign and malignant tumors, as well as to break apart kidney stones. The image-guided therapy system, under development to facilitate bloodless surgery in space, will be beneficial to both military and civilian health care providers. Read News Release Read Project Summary NSBRI Investigator: Lawrence A. Crum, Ph.D., University of Washington Ultrasound Training for Non-Physicians Ultrasound provides powerful diagnostic capabilities. In space, diagnosis and management of health problems can be difficult due to limited medical training and experience. Dr. Scott A. Dulchavsky developed rapid methods to train non-physicians to perform diagnostic quality ultrasound exams on the International Space Station for experts on the ground to interpret. Ultrasound can be used to assess fractured bones, collapsed lungs, kidney stones, organ damage, and tendon injury. The training techniques have been expanded for use on Earth. Through video streaming technology, ultrasound can be extended to ambulances, accident scenes, and the battlefield. Professional sports teams, the Olympics, and the United Nations Millennium Project have incorporated the training methods to improve care worldwide. Read News Release Listen to Podcast Read Project Summary NSBRI Investigator: Scott A. Dulchavsky, M.D., Ph.D., Henry Ford Health System Lab-on-a-Chip Blood Analysis Blood analysis is one of the best tools for monitoring astronaut health and physiological changes due to microgravity exposure. Dr. Yu-Chong Tai and colleagues are developing a lightweight blood-analysis technology, called a lab-on-a-chip, to perform multiple blood tests in space and for inclusion in the medical kits aboard spacecraft. The technology under development is for the evaluation, count and identification of all five different types of blood cells. The technology will be extended to analyze serum and plasma protein biomarkers. The results will be available almost immediately to astronauts in space. On Earth, the device can be used in many different locations, such as emergency rooms, physician clinics and rural medical settings, reducing the time associated with sending blood samples to a lab. Read News Release Read Project Summary NSBRI Investigator: Yu-Chong Tai, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology Self-Guided Management of Depression and Conflict Dr. James Cartreine, Dr. Raphael Rose, Dr. Jay Buckey Jr., and colleagues are developing an interactive multimedia program to help astronauts prevent, recognize, assess and effectively manage psychological and social problems during long-duration spaceflights. The system, called the Virtual Space Station, contains modules to help astronauts manage depression, interpersonal conflict and stress using cognitive behavioral therapy. The system provides a model that could potentially help many Americans, especially in areas where behavioral health care services are in short supply or nonexistent. Possible locations for use include schools, clinics, social service offices, places of worship, military bases, prisons, commercial ships, oil rigs and remote research stations, and at home, via broadband Internet. Read News Release Listen to Podcast NSBRI Investigator: James A. Cartreine, Ph.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital, Project Summary NSBRI Investigator: Raphael D. Rose, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, Project Summary Ultrasound for Fracture Healing Bone loss represents a key health problem and is associated with aging, osteoporosis and long-term space missions. Loss of bone diminishes both the structure and strength of bone, which significantly reduces the bone's ability to resist loads and increases the risk of fracture. Dr. Yi-Xian Qin and colleagues are developing a new, integrated ultrasound technology called Scanning Confocal Acoustic Navigation, or SCAN. The SCAN technology, which was recently awarded a U.S. patent, can assess and predict bone parameters beyond mineral density, namely bone qualities such as strength, structure and stiffness. The device can also be beneficial for guided fracture healing with ultrasound. The outcome for Earth medical care will be a noninvasive, small, mobile SCAN device that would be easy to use in medical clinics as a means of monitoring bone health and accelerating fracture healing. Read News Release Read Project Summary NSBRI Investigator: Yi-Xian Qin, Ph.D., State University of New York - Stony Brook University Needle-Free Measurements – Blood and Tissue Chemistry A novel sensor developed by Dr. Babs R. Soller provides accurate, needle-free measurements of muscle oxygen and pH and red blood cell volume (hematocrit). The sensor, placed directly on the skin, uses near infrared spectroscopy to make noninvasive measurements. Muscle oxygen measurements can be used for early indication of undetected internal bleeding, and muscle pH levels provide feedback on adequacy of therapy to address poor oxygen delivery during bleeding or sepsis. The sensor can also be used to provide an early indication of shock, assess its severity and help guide patient treatment. Lightweight and portable, the sensor will assist emergency and critical care physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients. It can be useful in air and ground ambulances, in hospital intensive care units, on the battlefield, and in rural medical settings. The device also has a general medical application for diagnosis of anemia and chronic heart problems. Read News Release Listen to Podcast Read Project Summary NSBRI Investigator: Babs R. Soller, Ph.D., Reflectance Medical Inc. and University of Massachusetts Medical School |
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