Astronauts will monitor their health using video game maker Level Ex’s ultrasound tool
Ex-Levela medical video game company offering software to train surgeons remotely, announced that it will participate in one of 38 science and research experiments accompanying SpaceX astronauts aboard Polaris Dawn, the first of three SpaceX missions. manned space flight.
The Polaris Dawn and Dragon crew will travel to an altitude of 1,400 km, the highest Earth orbit ever, and attempt a first-of-its-kind commercial spacewalk, forcing astronauts to experience levels of relatively high levels of radiation and to be exposed to a high vacuum during the spacewalk.
The mission profile will allow analysis to assess the effects of spaceflight on the human body and provide the crew with the tools to diagnose and treat themselves in the event of a medical problem.
“In manned spaceflight missions, crews must be prepared to address medical issues as they arise – a challenge for many reasons, including their limited medical training and the fact that bodies function differently in due to microgravity,” Level Ex said. MobiHealthNews in an email.
Level Ex is contributing to Polaris Dawn research projects by providing a tool that will train astronauts to detect health issues using an ultrasound probe, the only imaging modality available in space, and will be able to do so. en route and independently as needed.
With a grant from the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) and NASA, funded by the Mars mission, Level Ex has created a realistic ultrasound simulator to capture an astronaut’s digital twin before he leaves in the space.
The model can be modified based on known physiological adaptations to microgravity over time. Then astronauts can undergo just-in-time in-space training that recreates what that astronaut’s physiology should look like under ultrasound after an allotted time in space.
“In collaboration with SpaceX, CHEATED and KBR, the company has developed just-in-time training and in-flight procedure guidance to help aircrew perform medical ultrasound procedures. During the 5-day orbit, the crew will track blood circulation patterns and test just-in-time training solutions from this project, aimed at enabling astronauts to better monitor their health and maximize their safety in space,” Level Ex relayed in the email.
The research projects aim to improve the health of humans on Earth and the health of astronauts for long-duration spaceflight in the future.
Polaris Dawn is scheduled to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than March 2023.
THE GREAT TREND
Several research projects on human health in space are underway.
In October, four astronauts launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and headed to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of SpaceX’s 5th commercial crew mission.
The journey began a six-month adventure in space research that has supported hundreds of research and technology development investigations, including those aimed at creating a protein-based artificial retina and evaluating how gut microbes change in space.
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