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Healthcare in space is evolving.\u00a0On\u00a0the International Space Station, astronauts already use ultrasound to\u00a0monitor\u00a0their health, but until now,\u00a0they\u00a0have\u00a0relied on real-time guidance from experts on Earth. This\u00a0works\u00a0well\u00a0in low Earth orbit\u00a0but\u00a0will\u00a0not\u00a0be possible\u00a0for future missions to the Moon or Mars, where communication delays make remote guidance impossible.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the photo, ESA astronaut\u00a0Sophie Adenot\u00a0trains\u00a0on\u00a0EchoFinder\u20112, an\u00a0experiment run by\u00a0the French\u00a0space\u00a0agency\u00a0CNES and supported\u00a0by ESA.\u00a0Sophie trained at ESA\u2019s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, alongside her NASA Crew-12 crewmates, astronauts Jessica Meir (right) and Jack Hathaway (left).<\/p>\n
The system uses augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to make ultrasound\u00a0scans\u00a0without\u00a0ground\u00a0assistance\u2014a key step towards\u00a0healthcare\u00a0autonomy in space.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ultrasound is one of the most versatile medical tools: non-invasive,\u00a0lightweight\u00a0and radiation-free, making it ideal for space. But using it well requires\u00a0expertise.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet was the\u00a0first\u00a0to use the\u00a0ECHO\u00a0system\u00a0by\u00a0following instructions to position the probe during the\u00a0Proxima\u00a0mission. This breakthrough in remote medical imaging allowed researchers to\u00a0operate\u00a0the ultrasound device and receive high-quality images in real time.\u00a0Since its 2017 commissioning,\u00a0ECHO\u00a0has supported\u00a0studies\u00a0like\u00a0Vascular Echo\/Vascular Ageing,\u00a0Myotones\u00a0\u00a0and\u00a0CIPHER\u00a0expanding our understanding of how spaceflight affects the human body.\u00a0<\/p>\n
EchoFinder-2\u00a0takes the next step. Before flight, an expert sonographer performs a\u00a0baseline\u00a0data\u00a0collection\u00a0on each astronaut, recording the exact position and orientation of the ultrasound probe for selected organs. These reference points are stored\u00a0and uploaded to the Space Station.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The setup is simple: the subject lies in a supine position with a chest marker, while the operator uses the AR interface to guide the probe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In orbit, the astronaut uses a tablet running\u00a0EchoFinder\u00a0software,\u00a0with\u00a0a\u00a0camera\u00a0and QR markers attached to the probe and chest. The software displays virtual shapes on the screen: blue spheres for the current probe position and orange cubes for the target position. The operator moves the probe until the shapes overlap and turn green,\u00a0signaling the correct placement.\u00a0Then AI takes over, detecting the organs\u00a0and saving the\u00a0ultrasound\u00a0image automatically.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Crew-12 will be the first\u00a0astronauts\u00a0to test EchoFinder\u20112 aboard ESA\u2019s Columbus module\u00a0on the Space Station. ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot will use the system during her\u00a0\u03b5psilon\u00a0mission, serving as both subject and operator.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
EchoFinder\u20112 opens the door to autonomous ultrasound using minimal training and low-tech hardware for space missions.\u00a0Beyond space, this technology could also\u00a0benefit\u00a0remote regions on Earth, reducing the need for\u00a0specialised\u00a0expertise\u00a0to perform ultrasound scans.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n