Novel Methods for the Flexible Ultrasound System utilizing Augmented Reality Just-In-Time Procedural Guidance

NASA's future manned spaceflight missions will require medical diagnosis and treatment capabilities that address both the anticipated health risks and perform well in austere, remote operational environments. Spaceflight- ready medical devices will need to be capable of an increased degree of autonomous operation, acquiring clinically relevant and diagnosable data by every astronaut, not just select physician crew members credentialed in spaceflight medicine. Ultrasound is a diagnostic and treatment technology that currently fulfills mission medical capability support on ISS and is planned to accompany future deep-space missions. The Flexible Ultrasound System (FUS) is a new platform that is currently being developed by NASA and research partners to support this mission role. We propose three specific aims for this project proposal for methodological development utilizing the FUS platform: 1.) Develop and implement a group of vascular diagnostic methods related to health conditions on the Exploration Medicine Condition List (Carotid assessments, DVT, Cardiogenic shock, sudden cardiac arrest secondary to traumatic injury) and vascular access procedural guidance (central venous or arterial cannulation) utilizing the exposed API for the FUS platform 2.) Implement an Augmented Reality (AR) user interface for these vascular methods that provides procedural guidance in acquiring and initially diagnosing sonographic data for one or more ultrasound procedures to enhanced degree of procedural competency. 3.) Prototype the integration of Volume Navigation on the FUS platform to allow for 3-dimensional ultrasound procedural guidance through the Head Mounted Display. More »