A noninvasive technology currently in development to measure blood and tissue chemistry in astronauts is expected to have benefits for monitoring patients on Earth.
Babs Soller, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and her colleagues are developing the technology, dubbed the Venus prototype. Soller has worked closely with researchers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to develop applications of the Venus system for space.
Venus is a noninvasive, needle-free system that uses light to measure tissue oxygen and pH. The system will eventually be used as an alternative to needles for drawing blood as well as for determining metabolic rate.
Venus uses a sensor and portable monitor that are funded by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) for use in space. The sensors, which measure four inches by two inches, are placed directly on the skin, and use near infrared light to take measurements. Blood in tiny blood vessels absorbs some of the light, but the rest is reflected back to the sensor. The monitor analyzes the reflected light to determine metabolic rate, along with tissue oxygen and pH.
The Venus' measurements are not impacted by skin color or body fat, and there is less chance for infection.
Soller said the technology's multiple, real-time applications will be beneficial to astronauts in their day-to-day activities as well as critically ill patients on Earth.
"Tissue and blood chemistry measurements can be used in medical care to assess patients with traumatic injuries and those at risk for cardiovascular collapse," said Soller, who leads NSBRI's Smart Medical Systems and Technology team. "The measurement of metabolic rate will let astronauts know how quickly they are using up the oxygen in their life-support backpacks. If spacewalking astronauts run low on oxygen, the situation can become fatal."
According to experts, the Venus technology will most likely benefit emergency personnel in ambulances and on the battlefield.
"The neat thing about the work being done is that it is a two-for-one deal," said Leroy Chiao, former NASA astronaut and NSBRI user panel chairman. "Not only is this research going to help future astronaut crews and operations, it has very real benefits to people on the ground, especially to people in more rural areas."
"Eventually, we expect first-responders would have these devices, which would provide feedback on the severity of a person's injury," Soller added. "Data can be communicated directly to the hospital. Early access to this type of information may increase a victim's chances of survival."
The technology will also allow physicians to more efficiently monitor pediatric and intensive care patients and provide athletes and physical therapy patients with a more efficient way to measure metabolic rate.
