Polaris Dawn astronauts will undergo brain MRIs upon landing
Hyperfine will be collaborating with the Medical University of South Carolina to assess how space travel affects the brains of astronauts.
The health technology company’s portable MR imaging system—Swoop—will be used to image the brains of astronauts before and after the Polaris Dawn mission, according to a Wednesday announcement. This is the first private human spaceflight mission in which the crew will attempt the “first-ever commercial extravehicular activity with SpaceX-designed extravehicular activity spacesuits.” In addition to testing the suits, the crew will be conducting other scientific experiments related to space communications, human health, space radiation and more.
The Swoop system will be on standby at a SpaceX facility in Florida to conduct MRI brain scans on the crew within hours of their arrival and again one day later. Volumetric analysis of the brain and cerebrospinal fluid spaces will be used to analyze intracranial volume changes that occur during spaceflight. The scans will be conducted earlier than any other post-flight imaging of astronauts on record.
“This research will help us understand how human physiology adapts to spaceflight and zero-gravity environments,” principal investigator Donna Roberts, MD, from the Medical University of South Carolina, said in a release. “Using brain images acquired with the Swoop system, we aim to gain valuable insights into the etiology of spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS)—a condition in which astronauts experience changes in vision, alterations to the retina and, in some cases, swelling of the optic disc and increased intracranial pressure.”
Additional scans were completed seven days prior to the mission’s launch, which will be used to compare to the post-flight images. The data acquired will be invaluable for getting a better understanding of how the brain adapts to changes in its environment. Researchers are particularly interested in determining if intracranial venous congestion occurs during or after spaceflight.
Maria Sainz, president and CEO of Hyperfine, Inc., expressed enthusiasm for how the partnership will help to advance neurological research.
“This collaboration showcases the versatility and robustness of our system and the potential of our groundbreaking technology to go into nearly any professional healthcare setting," Sainz said.
The Polaris Dawn mission successfully launched on Tuesday, Sept. 10, and is expected to return within five days of taking flight.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.