The post Feasibility of DPOAE Mapping as an In-Flight Measure of Intracranial Pressure In Space (First Award Fellowship) appeared first on NSBRI.

This project will refine and validate plug-and-play sensor and effector probes to integrate with the NASA Flexible Ultrasound (FUS) unit to address the medical condition Nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) listed in the ExMC Gap Report 4.02, specifically ExMC Gap Report 4.13 Limited capability to diagnose and treat a renal stone. In summary, astronauts are at an increased risk of stone development because of microgravity, dehydration, and altered bone metabolism associated with space flight. The risk is that a stone, while innocuous when still in the kidney, will cause debilitating pain as it passes or worse, become obstructing, which can lead to urinary tract infection, sepsis, renal failure, and death. Short of surgery there is currently no available technology to affect when the stone moves from the kidney or manipulate the stone once it has begun to move.

The University of Washington invented and developed ultrasound technology to reposition stones to facilitate stone passage from the kidney. Using a Verasonics FUS (VFUS), commercial handheld probe, and real-time imaging, the stone and kidney are visualized and, with a touch of the screen, a short burst of ultrasound waves are focused on the stone to reposition (push) the stone to a new location. Development of the technology has focused on the clearance of stone fragments after shock wave lithotripsy (SWL). This proposal will refine the probe and software, and validate use for space-based needs including to a) detect and move ureteral stones, b) prevent or relieve an obstruction, c) manipulate de novo stones attached to kidney papillae, and d) comminute stones and expel the residual fragments. The result will be delivery of a probe and software that can be implemented on the NASA FUS to provide an option, where currently in space there is none, to treat most any in-flight kidney stone situation.

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Video: Watch this overview of the SPACE COT project, an international space biomedical study that took place in Cologne, Germany in June 2015.

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The post Clinical Evaluation of the Newest Generation of a Non-Invasive ICP Meter (VITTAMED) in Subjects Undergoing Invasive ICP Measurement appeared first on NSBRI.

The post The Suitability of the Vittamed Two-Depth Transcranial Doppler for the Non-Invasive Assessment of Intracranial Pressure in Astronauts Before and After Spaceflight appeared first on NSBRI.

The post Development of a Modular, Fiber Optic Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor for Quantitation of Diagnostic Proteins for Healing of Burns and Wounds appeared first on NSBRI.

The post Psychosocial Performance Factors in Space-Dwelling Groups appeared first on NSBRI.

But, not all astronauts experience changes to their vision in weightlessness. Differences in the anatomy, flow, and compliance of the veins in the head between individuals may explain this discrepancy. Our goal is to develop a numerical model of the cerebral venous circulation that can predict the effects of the fluid shifts. We will validate the model by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head to measure changes in venous flow, venous volume, venous pressure, intracranial compliance, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume and flow pulsatility during both fluid shifts and changes in body position. The likely anatomic differences that could alter the responses to a fluid shift will be identified. This model and supporting data will provide a way to develop hypotheses about how microgravity produces visual changes over time and may allow predictions about which subjects may be at risk for the visual deficits associated with microgravity.

The post Role of the Cranial Venous Circulation in Microgravity-Associated Visual Changes appeared first on NSBRI.

Additionally, an integrated behavioral health assessment will be added to the existing content to determine the need for behavioral health countermeasures and guide the astronaut user accordingly. Also, the VSS conflict resolution content will be expanded. To promote psychological well-being, the software will be modified to incorporate virtual reality (VR), including a VR-based relaxation and attention restoration system, which can provide a fully confidential, positive, immersive experience for astronauts.

The final product will offer an integrated user interface that can guide a user with minor problems to enjoyable countermeasures, such as VR relaxation, but will also have validated content to treat more severe problems such as depression.

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The post LumosTech Smart Sleep Mask for Circadian Realignment in Space and on Earth appeared first on NSBRI.