InteliSpark client, ArchieMD, wins a phase I SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant from NASA to develop an Augmented Reality (AR)-based telemedicine platform that will support medical guidance and care for space operations.
Responding to medical emergencies that occur during spaceflights is no small feat for a crew that may not have medical expertise. In lieu of a medical doctor aboard, a crew member may need to perform a medical procedure to potentially save the life of a fellow crew member.
With advances in telemedicine, NASA is able to diagnose and provide medical guidance from the Mission Control Center directly to members aboard a spaceflight. Yet, challenges with communications including lag time lead to inefficient care. ArchieMD is addressing this critical need by developing a novel AR-based telemedicine platform that will allow autonomous medical care for multi-year manned lunar and Mars operations. This innovative technology will replace the need for a spaceflight crew to rely on step-by-step instructions given from the Mission Control Center, thereby facilitating timely decision-making and medical guidance when access and contact to Earth is limited.
Dr. Robert Levine, President and Chief Medical Officer at ArchieMD, will lead this research effort that has the potential to improve not only telemedicine in space but be applied beyond NASA and improve healthcare in remote and rural areas around the world.