Ultrasound techniques developed by NASA to examine
International Space Station crewmembers may soon find
another use helping treat medical emergencies on Earth.

Non-physicians can readily learn the procedures. The
procedures can provide an accurate diagnostic tool when
coupled with Internet, telephone or wireless transmission of
ultrasound images to remote experts. The technology was
recently tested on members of the Detroit Red Wings of the
National Hockey League (NHL).

The probability of a crewmember developing a serious medical
condition increases on long-duration missions. Although X-
ray and computerized tomography (CT) scans are routinely
used by doctors to diagnose medical conditions, on Earth
they are not available on the Station due to weight and
power requirements.

For these reasons, a 76-kilogram (168-pound) ultrasound
machine is being evaluated on the Space Station to examine
the medical condition of crewmembers. Ultrasound is a fast
and safe technique that uses sound waves to gain information
about medical conditions ranging from gallbladder disease to
kidney stones. The ultrasound equipment in the Station’s
Human Research Facility is capable of high-resolution
imaging in a wide range of applications, both research and
diagnostic.

“I was impressed that even with the slight delay in
transferring the video images to the ground, I was able to
perform, with guidance from the ground team, imaging of my
heart, carotid artery, kidney and bladder,” said NASA ISS
Science Officer Peggy Whitson, a member of the fifth Station
crew. “The remote application of these methods has very
positive implications for long-duration spaceflight, as well
as potential use here on Earth.”

Dr. Scott Dulchavsky, chair of the Department of Surgery at
Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and principal investigator
for the ultrasound experiment, leads a team of NASA
scientists. They developed a technique involving remote
guidance of a minimally trained operator to acquire
ultrasound images. The images are transmitted by satellite
to the ground where radiologists can read them.

“These ultrasound techniques will improve the chances of
treating medical emergencies in space and on Earth,”
Dulchavsky said. “Although we use ultrasound every day in
trauma centers to diagnose injuries of the abdomen, we are
encouraged that ultrasound can be used in many more medical
conditions.”

Portable ultrasound machines remotely, guided by experts,
can be used to extend medical care into challenging areas
such as remote rural or military locations. The Detroit Red
Wings recently conducted a test of these techniques to
diagnose player injuries in the team’s locker room rather
than transporting athletes to Henry Ford Hospital for an X-
ray, CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

A portable ultrasound device was placed in the team’s locker
room and connected to an ultrasound workstation at Henry
Ford Hospital. A radiologist, serving as the remote expert,
worked with the NASA team to guide the Red Wings’ trainers
performing ultrasound tests on players. The remote expert
helped the trainers perform an ultrasound test on a
shoulder, ankle, knee, hand and foot. The resulting high-
quality images were transmitted to the hospital and could
have been used to confirm or exclude injuries to these
areas.

“This trial demonstrated ultrasound can be used to enhance
athletic medical care with minimal training and cost,”
Dulchavsky said. “We are investigating satellite phone
technology to allow the technique to be expanded for use on
ambulances or at accident sites.”

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http://www.nasa.gov/formedia
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