Space Exploration and Health Benefits

I read the most interesting article about the medical benefits we have received from space travel. The story can be read in full at CNN and I will link the story at the end of this post but I wanted to share my favorite medical applications.

1. Dialysis pumps and filters.
Purifying and recycling water for astronauts has been applied to kidney dialysis machines and allows for more mobility of the patient, less water used, and uses less electricity.

2. Ingestible Thermometer Pill.
A space suit is required to withstand great fluctuations in temperature so a pill was devised to be swallowed and measures the body temp. of the astronaut. Veterinarians use this pill to monitor pets body temperature during surgery and the pill is being used to understand better an athlete's core body temperature.

3. The I-Garment
This suit is equipped with monitors and sensors that are capable of monitoring the location, body temp, heart rate of fire fighters working on extinguishing a fire.

A lot of times, space travel seems very far removed from our everyday lives. To read about how the scientific studies done aboard the space shuttles affect us in very real ways is truly amazing. It is nice to see the practical applications of these inventions that improve our health and quality of life. I look forward to seeing more of these scientific inventions in the future.



You can read more HERE.