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At least 109 records · Page 6

Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Projects

During missions to the Moon or Mars, the crew will need medical capabilities to diagnose and treat disease as well as for maintaining their health. The Exploration Medical Capability Element develops medical technologies, medical informatics, and clinical capabilities for different levels of care during space missions. The work done by team members in this Element is leading edge technology, procedure, and pharmacological development. They develop data systems that protect patient's private medical information, aid in the diagnosis of medical conditions, and act as a repository of relevant NASA life sciences experimental studies. To minimize the medical risks to crew health the physicians and scientists in this Element develop models to quantify the probability of medical events occurring during a mission. They define procedures to treat an ill or injured crew member who does not have access to an emergency room and who must be cared for in a microgravity environment where both liquids and solids behave differently than on Earth. To support the development of these medical capabilities, the Element manages the development of medical technologies that prevent, monitor, diagnose, and treat an ill or injured crewmember. The Exploration Medical Capability Element collaborates with the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), the Department of Defense, other Government-funded agencies, academic institutions, and industry.

Wu, Jimmy↗

Software Development: 3D Animations and Creating User Interfaces for Realistic Simulations

My fall 2015 semester was spent at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center working in the Integrated Graphics, Operations, and Analysis Laboratory (IGOAL). My first project was to create a video animation that could tell the story of OMICS. OMICS is a term being used in the field of biomedical science to describe the collective technologies that study biological systems, such as what makes up a cell and how it functions with other systems. In the IGOAL I used a large 23 inch Wacom monitor to draw storyboards, graphics, and line art animations. I used Blender as the 3D environment to sculpt, shape, cut or modify the several scenes and models for the video. A challenge creating this video was to take a term used in biomedical science and describe it in such a way that an 8th grade student can understand. I used a line art style because it would visually set the tone for what we thought was an educational style. In order to get a handle on the perspective and overall feel for the animation without overloading my workspace, I split up the 2 minute animation into several scenes. I used Blender's python scripting capabilities which allowed for the addition of plugins to add or modify tools. The scripts can also directly interact with the objects to create naturalistic patterns or movements. After collecting the rendered scenes, I used Blender's built-in video editing workspace to output the animation. My second project was to write software that emulates a physical system's interface. The interface was to simulate a boat, ROV, and winch system. Simulations are a time and cost effective way to test complicated data and provide training for operators without having to use expensive hardware. We created the virtual controls with 3-D Blender models and 2-D graphics, and then add functionality in C# using the Unity game engine. The Unity engine provides several essential behaviors of a simulator, such as the start and update functions. A framework for Unity, which was developed in the lab, provided a way to place the different widgets on the virtual console dock and have them resize correctly based on the window dimensions.. My task in this project was to create the controls and visualizations for the data coming in from the simulator for the boat portion of the project. I wrote a class for each control window to handle the functionality of that widget. I implemented 11 widgets that make up the ship portion of the simulator. The members of the lab were each masters of their craft and I'm glad I had the opportunity to learn from them. I learned to plan strategically so I could finish this project on time. I allotted time for storyboarding, development, and refinement. In regards to animating I learned to use modifiers like lattice, boolean and build deformers. I also learned how to animate with drivers, how to use the dope sheet, and how to use the graph editor. In coding I learned to limit the chances for bugs by privatizing functions that should be exclusive to their class. I learned how to use the GIT repository to commit, stash and pull the latest build. I learned a bit of everything because I had the chance to see the entire application development process from the artwork, to the implementation.

Gordillo, Orlando Enrique↗

MIMIC II: a massive temporal ICU patient database to support research in intelligent patient monitoring

Development and evaluation of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) decision-support systems would be greatly facilitated by the availability of a large-scale ICU patient database. Following our previous efforts with the MIMIC (Multi-parameter Intelligent Monitoring for Intensive Care) Database, we have leveraged advances in networking and storage technologies to develop a far more massive temporal database, MIMIC II. MIMIC II is an ongoing effort: data is continuously and prospectively archived from all ICU patients in our hospital. MIMIC II now consists of over 800 ICU patient records including over 120 gigabytes of data and is growing. A customized archiving system was used to store continuously up to four waveforms and 30 different parameters from ICU patient monitors. An integrated user-friendly relational database was developed for browsing of patients' clinical information (lab results, fluid balance, medications, nurses' progress notes). Based upon its unprecedented size and scope, MIMIC II will prove to be an important resource for intelligent patient monitoring research, and will support efforts in medical data mining and knowledge-discovery.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗

Efficient hemodynamic event detection utilizing relational databases and wavelet analysis

Development of a temporal query framework for time-oriented medical databases has hitherto been a challenging problem. We describe a novel method for the detection of hemodynamic events in multiparameter trends utilizing wavelet coefficients in a MySQL relational database. Storage of the wavelet coefficients allowed for a compact representation of the trends, and provided robust descriptors for the dynamics of the parameter time series. A data model was developed to allow for simplified queries along several dimensions and time scales. Of particular importance, the data model and wavelet framework allowed for queries to be processed with minimal table-join operations. A web-based search engine was developed to allow for user-defined queries. Typical queries required between 0.01 and 0.02 seconds, with at least two orders of magnitude improvement in speed over conventional queries. This powerful and innovative structure will facilitate research on large-scale time-oriented medical databases.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗

Towards prevention and prediction of infectious diseases with virus sterilization using ultraviolet light and low-temperature plasma and bio-sensing devices for health and hygiene care

Inspired by the ideas of many authors, we provide insight on state-of-the-art potential technologies for the prevention and prediction of infectious diseases before they spread. This review also surveys virus sterilization with ultraviolet light and low temperature plasma technologies. Researchers in the various fields of medicine, materials, electronics, and plasma sciences have addressed increasingly challenging demands and the discussion encompasses the major challenges in societies that are faced with the threat of infectious diseases. In addition, technologies that use nanomaterials are evaluated for infection prevention and hygiene purposes. Advances in biomedical diagnostics for health care in terms of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors-based devices and telemetry for health monitoring are also reviewed.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Biomedical bulk data processing program

Analog-to-digital computer accepts physiological flight data as three basic analog input signals - the ECG signal, the flowmeter signal which is a respiration monitor, and the accelerometer signal which measures the normal-g-load on the subject.

Source record↗

Improved Hidden-Markov-Model Method Of Detecting Faults

Method of automated, continuous monitoring to detect faults in complicated dynamic system based on hidden-Markov-model (HMM) approach. Simpler than another, recently proposed HMM method, but retains advantages of that method, including low susceptibility to false alarms, no need for mathematical model of dynamics of system under normal or faulty conditions, and ability to detect subtle changes in characteristics of monitored signals. Examples of systems monitored by use of this method include motors, turbines, and pumps critical in their applications; chemical-processing plants; powerplants; and biomedical systems.

Smyth, Padhraic J.↗

Project 57 Air Monitoring Report: (Jan 1 - Dec 31 2018)

During the late 1950s, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) (now the U.S. Department of Energy [DOE]) conducted a series of safety experiments to determine if a nuclear device subjected to a large conventional explosives detonation would result in a nuclear yield. The AEC obtained temporary use of a large portion of western Emigrant Valley from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) for one of these experiments: Project 57. Following the Project 57 safety experiment, the AEC fenced the contaminated area and returned control of the surrounding land to the DOD. Emigrant Valley is part of the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). For safety and security reasons, access to the NTTR is controlled using both physical (i.e., fences) and administrative (e.g., signs and postings) controls. Therefore, the public cannot access the Project 57 site and there are no known human receptors that routinely access the site. Project 57 was detonated on April 24, 1957, in Emigrant Valley approximately 13 mi (21 km) northeast of the north end of Yucca Flat. This test was undertaken to develop: (1) a means of estimating immediate distribution and long-term redistribution of plutonium dispersed during a nonnuclear detonation; (2) biomedical evaluation techniques for use in likely plutonium-laden environments; (3) methods of decontaminating ground areas, pavements, and building materials; and (4) alpha survey instruments and field monitoring procedures to promptly estimate contaminant deposition. Although the test did not result in the fission of nuclear materials, it did disseminate plutonium across the ground surface. Various radiological surveys have been performed in the area since Project 57 was conducted. The AEC delineated the area containing radioactive material based on radioactivity surveys performed shortly after the test was conducted. A designated Contamination Area (CA), marked by a fence, was established later. The distribution of americium-241 (Am-241) in the area was determined again in a 1997 flyover, which showed Am-241 ranging from as much as 70,000 counts per second (cps) at ground zero to background (<70 cps). This survey also documented Am-241 radioactivity on the ground surface beyond the east side CA fence at levels of up to 150 cps. In 2007, the DOE expanded the CA by posting “Contamination Area” signs 200 ft to 400 ft (60 m to 120 m) beyond the original fence, which formed a new CA boundary.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

The impact of the new biology on radiation risks in space

Radiation is considered to be one of three or four major hazards for personnel in space and has emerged as the most critical issue to be resolved for long-term missions, both orbital and interplanetary. Space habitats are stressful and dangerous environments. Health and medical consequences arising from microgravity, stress, and trauma include weakened immune systems, increased viral activity, and loss of bone mass. The greatest risks from radiation are generally assumed to be cancers and possibly damage to the central nervous system. Synergistic effects arising from the other environmental hazards along with abscopal and exogenic factors are likely. Space programs represent an exceptional opportunity for examining the biological consequences of low-dose exposures of humans to radiation at every level of progression. Although astronauts are a relatively small population, they are healthy, physically active volunteers who undergo extensive testing and medical examinations before, during, and after protracted exposures with periodic follow-up examinations. The radiation environments along with other hazards are likewise monitored and documented. Extensive international research programs are in progress. Seven years ago the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration established the National Space Biomedical Research Institute through a cooperative agreement with a consortium of research and academic institutions in order to address radiation issues through a concerted, programmatic effort. Advanced technologies are rapidly being incorporated into these programs to determine the significance of new biological data and to evaluate the interplay among the different medical hazards. Programmatic in vivo and in vitro studies of the processes leading to carcinogenesis are in progress. Drugs and dietary supplements are being examined at the cellular and in vivo levels to assess their potential as dose-modifying agents. The infrastructure of this new approach, recent results, and research in progress are reviewed and discussed.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗

Web-Based Programs Assess Cognitive Fitness

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute, based in Houston and funded by NASA, began funding research for Harvard University researchers to design Palm software to help astronauts monitor and assess their cognitive functioning. The MiniCog Rapid Assessment Battery (MRAB) was licensed by the Criteria Corporation in Los Angeles and adapted for Web-based employment testing. The test battery assesses nine different cognitive functions and can gauge the effect of stress-related deficits, such as fatigue, on various tasks. The MRAB can be used not only for pre-employment testing but also for repeat administrations to measure day-to-day job readiness in professions where alertness is critical.

Source record↗

Hierarchical Nanomaterials Assembled from Peptoids and Other Sequence-Defined Synthetic Polymers

In nature, the self-assembly of sequence-specific biopolymers into hierarchical structures plays an essential role in the construction of functional biomaterials. To develop synthetic materials that can mimic and surpass the function of these natural counterparts, various sequence-defined bio- and biomimetic polymers have been developed and exploited as building blocks for hierarchical self-assembly. This review summarizes the recent advances in the molecular self-assembly of hierarchical nanomaterials based on peptoids (or poly-N-substituted glycines) and other sequence-defined synthetic polymers. Modern techniques to monitor the assembly mechanisms and characterize the physicochemical properties of these self-assembly systems are highlighted. In addition, discussions about their potential applications in biomedical sciences and renewable energy are also included. Furthermore, this review aims to highlight essential features of sequence-defined synthetic polymers (e.g., high stability and protein-like high-information content) and how these unique features enable the construction of robust biomimetic functional materials with high programmability and predictability, with an emphasis on peptoids and their self-assembled nanomaterials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Biomedical Risk Mitigation: 1994-2004

This custom bibliography from the NASA Scientific and Technical Information Program lists a sampling of records found in the NASA Aeronautics and Space Database. The scope of this topic includes space medicine, remote monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment. This area of focus is one of the enabling technologies as defined by NASA s Report of the President s Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy, published in June 2004.

Source record↗

Medical care of spacecrews, (Medical care, equipment, and prophylaxis)

Treatment and prevention of the physiologic problems of spacecrews are discussed. Preflight procedures, inflight monitoring and medication, and postflight examination are described. Specific factors covered include: medical screening and astronaut selection; health stabilization and exposure prevention; preflight medical examinations and training; biomedical data; medical kits; diagnosis and treatment; and implications of postflight findings.

Berry, C. A.↗

Wearable Biosensor Monitor to Support Autonomous Crew Health and Readiness to Perform

For future human exploration missions, NASA needs a health monitoring system composed of hardware that is compact, fully interoperable with an integrated data management system, and requires minimal consumables. Such a system will be achieved through the integration of small, easy to use biomedical sensors that will have the ability to measure, store and transmit physiological parameters during operational and ambulatory activity. Since 2012, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has been active in funding the development of wearable biomonitoring sensors. The Astroskin is the first prototype and consists of a shirt-based garment and headband with embedded sensors, and associated software and technology that measure vital signs, sleep quality and activity level of the wearer. NASA and CSA have been collaborating since 2014 to test and validate this system in a lab environment at Ames Research Center and more recently in the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) located at Johnson Spaceflight Center. Specific objectives of the HERA study were: 1) to assess the performance of the Astroskin biosensor system for long-term health monitoring (24-hours) capabilities and during exercise as a measure of crew fitness; 2) to obtain crew feedback on comfort and usability of the Astroskin system; 3) to demonstrate performance of Bluetooth communication during real-time transmission and for verification of data in this environment; and 4) to obtain baseline data for further development of algorithms and tools that facilitate decision support for diagnosing and monitoring of a sick or injured crewmember. HERA Campaign 3 included four missions (each 30-days in duration) with four crewmembers assigned to each mission. A total of 9 men and 7 women participated in the Astroskin evaluation that included continuous physiological monitoring (24-hours) on mission days MD-11, MD1 (high workload), MD15 (low workload), MD19, MD29, and MD+7. Mission days 19 and 29 also included 30 minutes of sub-maximal exercise on a cycle ergometer. Following each 24-hour monitoring session crew physiological data were downloaded to laptops and each crewmember completed a 28 question survey on their experiences with the Astroskin hardware and software. This presentation will focus on lessons learned from the HERA missions. Specifically it will address Astroskin system performance in terms of data loss and data quality (no comparison to lab standard devices), wireless communication with the onboard mobile device, crew usability and comfort, and future development of a next generation biomonitoring system.

crew fitness↗

Southwest Research Institute assistance to NASA in biomedical areas of the technology

Significant applications of aerospace technology were achieved. These applications include: a miniaturized, noninvasive system to telemeter electrocardiographic signals of heart transplant patients during their recuperative period as graded situations are introduced; and economical vital signs monitor for use in nursing homes and rehabilitation hospitals to indicate the onset of respiratory arrest; an implantable telemetry system to indicate the onset of the rejection phenomenon in animals undergoing cardiac transplants; an exceptionally accurate current proportional temperature controller for pollution studies; an automatic, atraumatic blood pressure measurement device; materials for protecting burned areas in contact with joint bender splints; a detector to signal the passage of animals by a given point during ecology studies; and special cushioning for use with below-knee amputees to protect the integrity of the skin at the stump/prosthesis interface.

Culclasure, D. F.↗

Imaging Beyond What Man Can See

Three lightweight, portable hyperspectral sensor systems have been built that capture energy from 200 to 1700 nanometers (ultravio1et to shortwave infrared). The sensors incorporate a line scanning technique that requires no relative movement between the target and the sensor. This unique capability, combined with portability, opens up new uses of hyperspectral imaging for laboratory and field environments. Each system has a GUI-based software package that allows the user to communicate with the imaging device for setting spatial resolution, spectral bands and other parameters. NASA's Space Partnership Development has sponsored these innovative developments and their application to human problems on Earth and in space. Hyperspectral datasets have been captured and analyzed in numerous areas including precision agriculture, food safety, biomedical imaging, and forensics. Discussion on research results will include realtime detection of food contaminants, molds and toxin research on corn, identifying counterfeit documents, non-invasive wound monitoring and aircraft applications. Future research will include development of a thermal infrared hyperspectral sensor that will support natural resource applications on Earth and thermal analyses during long duration space flight. This paper incorporates a variety of disciplines and imaging technologies that have been linked together to allow the expansion of remote sensing across both traditional and non-traditional boundaries.

May, George↗

Noninvasive, near infrared spectroscopic-measured muscle pH and PO2 indicate tissue perfusion for cardiac surgical patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether near infrared spectroscopic measurement of tissue pH and Po2 has sufficient accuracy to assess variation in tissue perfusion resulting from changes in blood pressure and metabolic demand during cardiopulmonary bypass. DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. SETTING: Academic medical center. SUBJECTS: Eighteen elective cardiac surgical patients. INTERVENTION: Cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A near infrared spectroscopic fiber optic probe was placed over the hypothenar eminence. Reference Po2 and pH sensors were inserted in the abductor digiti minimi (V). Data were collected every 30 secs during surgery and for 6 hrs following cardiopulmonary bypass. Calibration equations developed from one third of the data were used with the remaining data to investigate sensitivity of the near infrared spectroscopic measurement to physiologic changes resulting from cardiopulmonary bypass. Near infrared spectroscopic and reference pH and Po2 measurements were compared for each subject using standard error of prediction. Near infrared spectroscopic pH and Po2 at baseline were compared with values during cardiopulmonary bypass just before rewarming commenced (hypotensive, hypothermic), after rewarming (hypotensive, normothermic) just before discontinuation of cardiopulmonary bypass, and at 6 hrs following cardiopulmonary bypass (normotensive, normothermic) using mixed-model analysis of variance. Near infrared spectroscopic pH and Po2 were well correlated with the invasive measurement of pH (R2 =.84) and Po2 (R 2 =.66) with an average standard error of prediction of 0.022 +/- 0.008 pH units and 6 +/- 3 mm Hg, respectively. The average difference between the invasive and near infrared spectroscopic measurement was near zero for both the pH and Po2 measurements. Near infrared spectroscopic Po2 significantly decreased 50% on initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass and remained depressed throughout the bypass and monitored intensive care period. Near infrared spectroscopic pH decreased significantly during cardiopulmonary bypass, decreased significantly during rewarming, and remained depressed 6 hrs after cardiopulmonary bypass. Diabetic patients responded differently than nondiabetic subjects to cardiopulmonary bypass, with lower muscle pH values (p =.02). CONCLUSIONS: Near infrared spectroscopic-measured muscle pH and Po2 are sensitive to changes in tissue perfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Non-NASA Center↗

Gas Chromatic Mass Spectrometer

Gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) used to measure and identify combustion species present in trace concentration. Advanced extractive diagnostic method measures to parts per billion (PPB), as well as differentiates between different types of hydrocarbons. Applicable for petrochemical, waste incinerator, diesel transporation, and electric utility companies in accurately monitoring types of hydrocarbon emissions generated by fuel combustion, in order to meet stricter environmental requirements. Other potential applications include manufacturing processes requiring precise detection of toxic gaseous chemicals, biomedical applications requiring precise identification of accumulative gaseous species, and gas utility operations requiring high-sensitivity leak detection.

Wey, Chowen↗