NASA Objectives

NASA must develop and exploit revolutionary and breakthrough technology to move clinical care from the ground to the venue of long duration flight. Potentially life threatening injuries and illnesses can and will occur in space over time. We can provide Advanced Cardiac Life Support for a limited time, but our current approach to serious illness or injury is expeditious stabilization and evacuation to definitive care on Earth. For long duration missions, we must provide clinical care in space, including advanced, accurate diagnostics and the ability to perform complex surgical intervention when appropriate. This must be accomplished within a complex human-machine interface, in an environment of highly limited available space and resources, and in the context of physiology altered by microgravity. The need to conserve, recycle and regenerate expendable biological resources is constant. Teleconsultation with ground-based resources isn't a viable option due to prolonged transmission times. Our clinical care system must be autonomous, with exhaustive on-board expertise available either virtually or in actuality.

Early diagnosis of disease and highly accurate therapy is of prime importance. Prompt implementation of specifically targeted treatment will insure optimum use and conservation of therapeutic resources. Invasive intervention as well as possible therapeutic complications is then less likely. Continuous health monitoring is important not only for early diagnosis of disease but also to gauge individual microgravity countermeasure effectiveness. Exercise and other countermeasure regimens may then be adjusted appropriately.

Nanotechnology-based sensors for continuous monitoring, therapeutic "nanodevices", "virtual" physicians and robotic surgeons (augmented by artificial intelligence), enhanced and focused use of electromagnetic and/or acoustic energy at multiple frequencies for diagnosis and therapy, "smart" pharmacological agents delivered by nanotechnologic systems, biologically inspired protective materials, and facilities for tissue growth and regeneration are some of the tools that may facilitate care beyond low Earth orbit. The shared necessity of effective health monitoring, early disease diagnosis and minimally invasive, specifically targeted therapy has every potential to drive significant advances in space clinical medicine and cancer treatment.