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Space tech to get rid of painful kidney stones
Wednesday February 01, 2012 06:14:23 PM,
IANS
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Washington:
Space scientists are harnessing ultrasound to not only detect
painful kidney stones but also to get rid of them through a
process called "twinkling artifact".
The risk of kidney stones developing in space is aggravated by
environmental conditions, scarcity of resources and the distance
from the earth, which could restrict treatment options.
The project is led by National Space Biomedical Research Institute
(NSBRI) Smart Medical Systems and Technology Team principal
investigator Lawrence Crum and co-investigator Michael Bailey.
Bailey said the technology is based on currently available
equipment . "We have a diagnostic ultrasound machine that has
enhanced capability to image kidney stones in the body," said
Bailey, according to an NSBRI statement.
"We also have a capability that uses ultrasound waves coming right
through the skin to push small stones or pieces of stones toward
the exit of the kidney, so they will naturally pass, avoiding
surgery," added Bailey.
Currently, the preferred mode of removal is to drink water to
encourage the stones to pass naturally, but this does not always
work, and surgery is often the only option. In space, the threat
from kidney stones is greater due to the difficulty of keeping
astronauts fully hydrated.
Another factor is that bones demineralize in the reduced-gravity
environment of space, dumping salts into the blood and eventually
into the urine. The elevated concentration of salts in the urine
is a risk factor for stones.
Crum, who is a physicist, said kidney stones could be a serious
problem on a long-duration mission.
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