Concordia University researchers have created a high-fidelity simulator to study blood flow in reduced gravity environments, aiming to improve CPR techniques for long-duration space travel. The system, equipped with a 3D-printed cardiovascular system, successfully reproduced key pressure patterns and demonstrated consistent blood flow under both normal and hypogravity conditions. The study, published in npj Microgravity, highlights the challenges of performing CPR in space and the need for more realistic models to enhance space medicine.
Concordia University researchers have made a significant breakthrough in preparing humans for long-duration space travel by developing a high-fidelity simulator that models blood flow in reduced gravity environments.
This innovative system, centered around a modified mannequin equipped with a 3D-printed cardiovascular system, including a heart, heart valves, artificial vessels, and a fluid-filled loop mimicking blood flow, has successfully reproduced key pressure patterns observed during effective CPR on Earth. The simulator demonstrated consistent blood flow under both normal gravity and hypogravity conditions, revealing measurable differences in how the body responds in reduced gravity.
Zoé Lord, the lead author of the study and a PhD candidate at Queen's University, highlighted that significant increases were observed in various types of arterial pressure, including systolic, diastolic, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure, when comparing hypogravity to Earth gravity. These findings validate the high-fidelity heart simulator and its potential to enhance our understanding of resuscitation in space.
The study, published in the Nature journal npj Microgravity, addresses the critical challenges of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in space environments. Traditional CPR methods may not be effective in space due to the impact of reduced gravity on blood flow and the lack of bracing. While several space-adapted CPR techniques have been proposed, none have been fully validated using internal physiological measures.
Previous studies have primarily focused on external metrics such as compression depth and rate, which do not fully capture whether enough blood is circulating to sustain vital organs. Lyes Kadem, a professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering and the director of the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Fluid Dynamics, emphasized that most issues on CPR in space are oriented towards the health provider rather than the patient.
The new simulator serves as a bridge to help space medicine practitioners investigate the hemodynamics of blood flow. The system was developed and tested in labs at Concordia University and on board a Canadian government-owned Falcon 20 jet designed for space science experiments. The researchers conducted their experiments during brief moments of hypogravity during two parabolic flights over two days. Before the flights, the automated simulator was attached to a frame and fitted above the modified mannequin.
During the hypogravity periods, it delivered accurate compressions to the heart's ventricle, initiating the process of moving a blood analogue through the carotid artery to the brain. Sensors attached to strategic parts of the mannequin, including the carotid artery, tracked pressure changes in real time, allowing the researchers to assess the effectiveness of compression in moving fluid through the body. Team member Christian Andrade collected and interpreted the data in real time under hypogravity conditions.
Zoé Lord expressed her aspirations for future iterations of the simulator, aiming to make them more physiologically realistic. The team plans to integrate a spine, a rib cage, and a more complex thoracic cavity, considering that the heart shrinks when a person is in space. They also aim to improve the tubing structures and instrumentation. The ultimate goal is to deploy the mannequin aboard the International Space Station to measure what happens in actual space flight conditions.
This research represents a crucial step forward in ensuring the safety and well-being of astronauts and space tourists during long-duration missions to the moon and Mars
Space Medicine Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Reduced Gravity Hemodynamics Space Travel
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