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DEVELOPING COMPLETE ULTRASONIC MANAGEMENT OF KIDNEY STONES FOR SPACEFLIGHT.
Julianna C Simon1,2, Barbrina Dunmire1, Michael R Bailey1,2,3
1Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40 St., Seattle, WA 98105 USA.
The Journal of Space Safety Engineering
|October 17, 2017
Summary
Astronauts face higher kidney stone risks in space. A new ultrasound system aims to detect, break, and reposition kidney stones, improving astronaut health during long-duration space missions.
Area of Science:
- Space Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nephrology
Background:
- Spaceflight causes bone demineralization, dehydration, and stasis, increasing astronaut kidney stone risk.
- Longer space missions exacerbate kidney stone incidence and mission-critical event potential.
- Current medical capabilities for managing kidney stones in space are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the development of an ultrasound-based system for kidney stone management in space.
- To assess the integration of S-mode imaging, burst wave lithotripsy (BWL), and ultrasonic propulsion (UP) for space applications.
- To discuss the current state of these technologies for use on Earth and in space.
Main Methods:
- Development of an ultrasound-based system for kidney stone detection using S-mode imaging.
- Application of burst wave lithotripsy (BWL) for breaking kidney stones.
- Utilization of ultrasonic propulsion (UP) for repositioning kidney stones.
- Integration of these technologies onto a flexible ultrasound system.
Main Results:
- The review details the progress in developing ultrasound technologies for kidney stone management.
- The system integrates detection, fragmentation, and repositioning capabilities.
- The technology is being adapted for a flexible ultrasound system for space missions.
Conclusions:
- An ultrasound-based system shows promise for managing kidney stones in astronauts.
- The integrated system offers a potential solution for critical medical events in space.
- Continued development and integration are supported by NASA and NSBRI.