Written by Carmelo Amalfi Wednesday, 04 June 2008 10:48
WHEN space colonists arrive on the Moon and Mars over the next few decades they will be equipped with easy-to-use medical kits whose diagnostic performance has been fine-tuned by researchers at Royal Perth Hospital.
A few years ago Dr Hart’s work attracted interest from medical staff at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas as his research into the use of ultrasound in stroke survivors proved relevant in space.
Dr Hart said ultrasound is a valuable tool used extensively since the 1970s to treat illness and injury, both in remote and isolated terrestrial areas such as Antarctica, and in space.
An ultrasound scanner was installed on the ISS in 2001 as an item of biomedical research infrastructure on what is an orbiting construction site.
"The space station is remote and isolated with similar problems to those at polar stations on Earth," Dr Hart said. "We are looking at nine different medical problems including deep vein thrombosis and acute abdominal pain."
Dr Hart said some of the risks facing astronauts on the ISS included particulates of dust and metallic objects that can become lodged in the eyes, appendicitis, tendonitis and wound complications.
Dr Hart and Ms Zelesco have used an ultrasound in near-zero gravity for short periods during a parabolic flight path on a small plane from Jandakot airport. They used the opportunity to try an ultrasound probe on themselves during the controlled freefall as a way of mimicking microgravity environments on the ISS.
Dr Hart said one of the major physiological changes which occurs in microgravity is that jugular veins increase in size dramatically as blood rushes quickly through the veins to the head.
"The lack of gravity in space results in the head being filled up with blood," Dr Hart said. "These physiological changes that occur in space are similar to those seen in stroke survivors.”
He said ultrasound, unlike other forms of medical imaging, did not use or emit dangerous radiation. With the increase in computing power, the size and weight of ultrasound units has decreased so they can be carried by hand.
Ms Zelesco, who completed her masters in ultrasound in space in 2006, said Australia is in a unique position to assist with ultrasound use in space research.
“In Australia we have areas so remote evacuation of an injured or ill person cannot be immediate, which is also similar on the ISS since cutting a mission short is extremely expensive and evacuation of an injured or ill crew member is currently not an option,” she said.
Dr Hart said few astronauts were trained in sonography, prompting researchers to create a set of instructions novices could understand. This was unavoidable since ultrasound machines are highly operator-dependent.
“It takes about three days to get to the ISS," he said. "Once there, ultrasound can be used on an ill or injured astronaut so the image can be transmitted and assessed quickly as to whether the mission needs to be aborted.”
Dr Hart and Ms Zelesco also provide assistance to people stationed in the Antarctica where evacuation can be difficult, and access to medical facilities and personnel limited.
Dr Hart said Antarctica was an analogue for medical contingency planning for the ISS and missions to the Moon and Mars.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
