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Overview

Bracelet Investigation

Principal Investigator:
Scott A. Dulchavsky, M.D., Ph.D.

Organization:
Henry Ford Health System

Monitoring the health of astronauts during long-duration spaceflights will be an important part of mission operations for the crew and ground personnel. In addition to monitoring, it will be necessary to have sound countermeasures to protect astronaut health. Dr. Scott Dulchavsky is leading a project to validate just-in-time training methodologies for cardiovascular ultrasound imaging and to quantify the effects of the Bracelet device on the cardiovascular system. The Bracelet is a Russian device that consists of compression cuffs, similar to a blood pressure cuff, placed on the thighs. It is designed to help maintain normal blood flow by reducing the fluid shifts from lower to upper body that occur in microgravity.

The project will include ground-based and simulated microgravity investigations of the cardiovascular effects of the Bracelet device with ultrasound and flight experiments aboard the International Space Station. The just-in-time training portion of the project will include ground-based validation of the training methods by using non-expert ultrasound operators. The projects investigations will provide increased understanding of cardiovascular physiology and advances in space medical capabilities for long-duration spaceflight.

NASA Taskbook Entry

Technical Summary

This project will provide information on crew health and performance risks, develop countermeasures, and develop technologies with strategies for monitoring and mitigating crew health. The objectives of this study are to validate just-in-time training methodologies for cardiovascular ultrasound imaging during long-duration spaceflight and to quantify the effects of the Bracelet device on the cardiovascular system in ground-based and fight experiments. The ultrasonic diagnostic investigations described in this project will provide a clinically-relevant, increased understanding of cardiovascular physiology as well as significant advances in space medical capabilities to facilitate exploration-class space missions.

The research investigations will use a tiered methodology:

  1. Ground-based investigations at NASA Johnson Space Center:  Evaluation of the cardiovascular effects of the Bracelet device with ultrasound, and ultrasound optimization of Bracelet device application.
  2. Simulated microgravity investigations at NASA Johnson Space Center:  Human factors optimization of stress cardiovascular ultrasound examination, physiologic effects of simulated microgravity on cardiovascular performance, and effects of the Bracelet device on cardiac function in bed-rest subjects.
  3. Optimization of just-in-time training methodologies to allow non-expert operators to perform vascular and cardiac ultrasound evaluations at Henry Ford Hospital:  Develop rapid hands-on methodologies in vascular and cardiac ultrasound, develop and optimize CD-ROM-based training methods in ultrasonography, and compare the accuracy of expert operators versus just-in-time-trained ultrasound operators performing vascular and cardiac ultrasound.
  4. Flight experiments on the International Space Station:  Evaluation of long-duration spaceflight on cardiovascular function and evaluation of the physiologic effects of the Bracelet device on cardiovascular function during long-duration spaceflight.
     

Earth Applications

The unique constraints imposed by the space environment require the development of novel strategies for crew member health evaluation and maintenance. The ultrasonic diagnostic modalities described in this project, involving the peripheral arterial and venous system, as well as focused echocardiography, would provide a significant, clinically-relevant advance in space medical capabilities to facilitate exploration-class space missions.

Earth-based benefits of this study are also anticipated including enhanced understanding of the cardiovascular effects of venous occlusion in normal and pathologic states. Development of the high fidelity CD-ROM-based training program in cardiovascular ultrasound for use by non-medical personnel will have direct educational implication for a broad audience including ultrasound technicians, students and the general population. These techniques are readily transferable to training in basic and advanced cardiopulmonary care and CPR training as well as other public health education tasks where non-medical personnel must be introduced to medical concepts in a limited time.
This project's funding ended in 2011