Astronauts Take First X-Rays In Space
- Reference: 0184464986
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/26/07/15/0354223/astronauts-take-first-x-rays-in-space
- Source link:
> Commercial off-the-shelf X-ray machines like the ice cooler-sized MinXray TR90BH now allow users to perform scans on subjects far away from traditional facilities. In 2022, [Mayo Clinic researcher Sheyna Gifford] assisted in preparing a crew to successfully generate digital X-rays while experiencing microgravity during a parabolic flight. Gifford's team then spent years collaborating with SpaceX to plan another feasibility study. This time, they didn't want to operate an X-ray machine aboard an aircraft simulating the conditions in space -- they intended to use the equipment during an orbital mission.
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> The process was detailed in a recently [2]published study in the journal Radiology , and focuses on last year's [3]Fram2 mission . Instead of days of medical training, astronauts spent only four hours learning how to use their portable radiography device. They then took preflight X-rays of a hand, forearm, chest, abdomen, and pelvis ahead of their SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch on March 31, 2025. Once in orbit, the team calibrated the system before testing their MinXray on the same body parts as well as a smartwatch.
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> Once the crew returned, a trio of independent radiologists reviewed the orbital X-ray images based on their positioning, spatial and contrast resolutions, and general scan quality. Although positioning scores were slightly decreased for the central body images, every other scan held up to similar examples created on Earth. Meanwhile, the astronauts reported that using the machine was easy despite minimal prior coaching. Looking ahead, researchers hope to conduct further X-ray tests during orbital missions, while continuing to reduce the overall size of equipment.
[1] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/astronauts-first-x-rays-space-182120156.html
[2] https://pubs.rsna.org/journal/radiology
[3] https://www.spacex.com/launches/fram2
Dosage (Score:5, Informative)
Medical x-ray equipment these days requires less radiation exposure than in years past. Still, it is a radiation dose on top of what space crews are already experiencing. [1]NASA guidelines [nasa.gov] limit astronauts to 600 millisieverts (mSv) for their whole flight career, and 250 mSv for an acute event (e.g., a solar storm). They estimate a 6-month stay on the ISS could be 77-86 mSv, depending on solar conditions. By comparison, living on the surface of the Earth will dose about 3 mSv/yr.
A typical chest x-ray is [2]about 0.1 mSv [brave.com]. So not nothing, but also not a huge amount, even if they did 10 images in quick succession. And weighed against the medical diagnostic benefit, it's probably a decent tradeoff.
[1] https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ochmo-tb-020-radiation-protection.pdf
[2] https://search.brave.com/search?q=chest+x-ray+radiation+dose
Re: (Score:2)
Spot on. The paper said they estimated the three crew that were imaged received between 0.3 and 2.7 mSv - I guess different crew members had different images taken, and that the chest images used a dose of 0.12 mSv and the abdomen/pelvis images were 0.36 mSv.
Also interesting was that they did some testing of doing non-destructive testing x-ray images of hardware.
Why not just wait for a gamma ray burst? (Score:2)
Space has plenty of high energy events.
Re: (Score:2)
When I read the title I was genuinely thinking they would try something like that, maybe just using X-rays coming from outer space anyway. Disappointed to learn they just used a mundane X-ray apparatus "in space", I wonder why anyone would have expected such apparatus to not just work the same as on the ground.
Re: (Score:2)
> I wonder why anyone would have expected such apparatus to not just work the same as on the ground.
I believe that this was mostly about testing the ability of the astronauts to perform the diagnostic testing with the training provided while in space. This will have strong value in future proposed long duration voyages (such as a manned mission to Mars), where the astronauts will need to provide such testing results for more knowledgeable specialists on Earth who can then provide the advice and recommendations for next steps.
Why is this a big deal? (Score:2)
Other than the issues of actually fitting the gear into a spaceship, I can't see why X-Ray machines would care about gravity, they would work in space the same way as ever.
Re: (Score:3)
Because you need sufficient space and to be very still while x-raying. Also, space ships and stations get a much higher amount of external radiation than Earth (like, 20x more) and they needed to make sure it wouldn't interfere with the scans.
Re: (Score:2)
I would be surprised if they haven't already taken the x-ray imager onboard. Just to check out the background noise level. As to the size and stability of the source and imager, my dentist uses a source about the size of a large cordless drill. Handheld, the pulse is (evidently) short enough to make hand tremors a non issue.
Re: (Score:2)
The equipment they used is a bit bigger than a drill. It's about the size of a medium backpack. Also, under microgravity, stillness isn't only about hand tremors, but the constant "floating" movement of both the scanner and the patient. Anyway, the tests just showed how everything works as intended.
Re: (Score:2)
Testing is also about looking for things that you don't anticipate.
Re: (Score:2)
I am not saying they shouldn't have done it, just that it seems like not much of a surprise that it works. My feel is that the size and power supply issues were more of a challenge than wondering if they could actually take images with it.
Re: (Score:2)
> I can't see why X-Ray machines would care about gravity, they would work in space the same way as ever.
The summary talked about the potential challenges of imaging in microgravity, where the imager and the human are more prone to relative movement from floating around. And although astronauts are highly educable, they do not presently get trained as x-ray techs.
A different potential concern could be noise: the image sensor isn't just going to be getting the incident x-rays (after passing through the human) but also catching whatever the ambient background radiation level could be. That could have made t
I am wainting... (Score:2)
...the first X ray picture from space. Eight billions of humans scnedan all together!
Captain Dabbin. (Score:2)
> ”..Instead of days of medical training, astronauts spent only four hours learning how to use their portable radiography device. They then took preflight X-rays of a hand, forearm, chest, abdomen, and pelvis..”
Translation; Instead of wasting time dissipating the harm over days, x-ray test monkeys spent four hours hittin’ that thing like Grandpas groovy gravity bong.
Just to make sure the crushing vacuum of space is still the risky part of the trip.
Re: (Score:2)
Vacuums don't crush.
Re: Captain Dabbin. (Score:2)
They do if you use them like a sledgehammer.
Re:Captain Dabbin. (Score:4, Interesting)
Its space. When it comes to radiation, an X-Ray machine is by far the least of their worries. Astronauts come back from space missions utterly glowing with radiation.
Admittedly the cancer rate amongst astronauts isnt THAT much higher (just under 1/3 of astronaut deaths compared to just over 1/5th of the general population), but this is also a cohort that have mostly been non smoking tea-totaller health conscious non-junk-eating people so its definitely a thing.
Like yeah, over exposure to medical X-Rays is totally a risk factor, but astronauts go into space knowing that space is actively trying to radiate them, freeze them, burn them, pop their lungs, boil their blood and suffocate them. Its a soldiers gambit really.