Canada is leading the way on health care for astronauts — to be used here on Earth, too | 24CA News
As people as soon as once more start our foray again to the moon, there are some very severe questions on how to make sure we are able to achieve this safely.
After all, area is harmful. Very harmful. There’s the risk your rocket may blow up, or there may very well be an issue together with your spacecraft. There’s additionally a threat of area particles or meteoroids.
But the most important risk is to our well being.
Our our bodies had been designed for Earth: its gravity, its air, its ambiance. There’s none of that in area, plus lethal area radiation to think about.
And then there’s simply on a regular basis well being issues.
That’s why the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is working to develop expertise for use in area to assist astronauts keep as protected as they presumably can as a part of its Health Beyond Initiative. But the bonus? That expertise is first being developed for these of us residing right here on Earth.
One of the initiatives by the CSA is being executed along with Impact Canada (a government-wide effort to fund innovation). Called the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge, it’s a competitors open to firms who wish to develop new diagnostic and detection applied sciences that will probably be utilized in distant communities in Canada and for astronauts as they head out on deep area missions to the moon and ultimately, Mars.
“We’re thinking of when astronauts spend a longer period of time on the moon and get ready to go to Mars they will need to increase their capacity to take care of their own health, to be self-reliant, when it comes to health care,” mentioned Annie Martin, the Health Beyond portfolio supervisor on the CSA.
“But as we get ready for those missions, we’re looking to apply what we’re learning, what we’re developing for Canadians, improving access to health care, and more specifically, we think of medically isolated communities. So, communities in the north, rural locations, Indigenous communities, military deployment, disaster management, rescue teams, and so on.”
Some individuals would possibly surprise about what area exploration does for us right here at house, however there are quite a few issues which have come out of people residing and dealing in area — what area businesses name spin-offs. Some extra notable ones embody heart-rate displays, sensors utilized in DSLR cameras, a bone analyzer used to observe these with osteoporosis and issues like reminiscence foam and cordless vacuums.
Even the expertise for the Canadarm is utilized in mind, coronary heart and spinal surgical procedures.
Similar challenges, related options
However, this time the CSA is doing it the opposite method round. Instead of one thing being invented to be used in area, the CSA and Impact Canada are on the lookout for expertise that can be utilized to serve Canadians however that may additionally be utilized in area for astronauts.
This grew to become extra urgent after Canada agreed to assist construct the Lunar Gateway, an area station that can orbit the moon, and extra so when Canada signed on to the Artemis Accords, which is the settlement to take part in our return to the moon, Mars and ultimately past.
With that in thoughts, in 2021, the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge was launched.
There are three levels to the problem earlier than the ultimate $500,000 award. Already 20 firms have made it to Stage 2.
Some Stage 1 finalists embody analysis from McMaster University, Université de Montréal and a number of other impartial firms from throughout the nation.
Innovations proposed embody a hands-free automated ultrasound machine, by Sonoscope Inc. out of Longueuil, Que.; an ultralight MRI by Pelican MRI out of Saskatoon; and a man-made intelligence-powered digital medical assistant by ADGA Group Consultants Inc. out of Ottawa.
Canadian astronaut Dr. David Saint-Jacques is a part of the jury with Impact Canada. He’s no stranger to both distant well being care or residing in area. He spent 204 days aboard the ISS from Dec. 3, 2018 to June 24, 2019, the longest of any Canadian.
But earlier than he was an astronaut, he was a health care provider and the co-chief of medication at Inuulitsivik Health Centre in Puvirnituq, Nunavik, an Inuit neighborhood on Hudson Bay.
While he was on the ISS, he wore a shirt known as Bio-Monitor that retains observe of important indicators like coronary heart fee, respiration, pores and skin temperature and extra. It’s an instance of one thing he thinks may very well be utilized in distant communities.
“Imagine an elder with bad chronic lung disease. Maybe you can see early signs before he really crashes and needs to be evacuated,” Saint-Jacques mentioned.
“Maybe we can help him out with antibiotics before … there starts to be some signs of more rapid breathing, for example. So this is all blue-sky dreaming, but it is striking to me how much in common the practice of medicine in a remote area and in space have because it’s basically the same problems of long distance, lack of equipment, lack of specialized personnel, communication delays.”
Similar challenges imply related options, he mentioned.
Being a world chief
Dr. Farhan Asrar is an assistant professor on the University of Toronto’s school of medication, however he additionally has a eager curiosity in how expertise utilized in area can profit us right here on Earth. Most lately he revealed an article within the journal Canadian Family Physician co-authored by Saint-Jacques and former Canadian astronaut and physician Dave Williams.
“People might not realize that modern telemedicine, the origins are basically based with the space programs and agencies connecting with astronauts,” Asrar mentioned. “We’ve been using different versions of virtual care and remote medicine, even right now, when there was a whole lockdown going on.”
And he believes that Canada, with its small funds and smaller inhabitants in comparison with the U.S., holds its personal in relation to offering well being care in area.
“I think what I really appreciate, the Canadian Space Agency as a whole, they’ve kind of looked at … what is the expertise that we can still be a world leader, and really kind of focus on it or specialize in those specific areas,” he mentioned.
That experience consists of astronaut-physician leaders like Dr. Bob Thirsk, Williams, Saint-Jacques and neurologist Dr. Roberta Bondar, Asrar famous.
“The leadership that they’ve taken on at a world level, I would say it’s definitely something that Canada has been playing within the realm of health care and space.”
The CSA is holding its 2022 Health Beyond Summit from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 to focus on the work to place Canada on the forefront of not solely deep area well being care, but in addition in offering well being care to distant communities.
Health Beyond’s portfolio supervisor Martin mentioned that the longer term seems to be vivid for Canadian innovation and the way forward for healthcare, each in area and on the terra firma.
“Space exploration is certainly a driver for inspiration, inspiring the next generation and this idea to explore further to see what we don’t know,” the CSA’s Martin mentioned.
“We’re explorers … but as we are exploring that unknown, and looking at where we can extend our presence in the universe, we need to ensure the safety of those explorers. And by doing that, we’re advancing technologies that have immediate benefit on Earth.”
