Monitoring 'aquanauts' as they train for space exploration Serena Aunon from NEEMO 20
For the 21st expedition to the Aquarius Undersea Reef Base, the world’s only undersea research station, NASA “aquanauts” will utilize the VEGA Telehealth system as a way to monitor their daily health while 62 feet under the Atlantic ocean.
Dr. Marc Ó Gríofa, a crew member of the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operation (NEEMO) expedition, will monitor the six aquanauts as they experience gravitational situations comparable to those in space exploration. The VEGA system will capture data and vital signs from the team and transfer them to a physician for virtual consultations.
The system can measure real-time pulse rate and oxygen saturation levels in the blood while displaying the absolute maximum and minimum number for each factor. The information can be transmitted wirelessly to the VEGA or an electronic medical record for a physician to review.
VEGA can also function as an EKG/ECG machine and monitor symptoms such as abnormal heart rhythms, skipped heart beats, tachycardia and bradycardia.
“We are excited to demonstrate the effectiveness of this remote care model in such extreme conditions,” said Dr. Al Marco, president of PM13 Preferred Medical Solutions, in a statement. “This technology solution could be used anywhere from monitoring astronauts in space to patients in the most rural parts of the country.”
According to Marco, after a year of trials with home health care companies and U.S. institutions, the VEGA proved to drastically reduce hospital readmissions for advanced heart failure patients and also improved patient/clinician communication.
The underwater mission simulates some possible living conditions in space since certain challenges are similar. The NASA aquanauts can test different gravities and also simulate different walking techniques as though they were in space.
