Development of Space Based Emergency Medical Procedures Using Simulation Technology

Manned space operations present severe dangers to crew health. Conversely, space operations present severe impediments to delivery of emergency medical care. In order to establish an effective space-based medical care capability, procedures that facilitate the execution of complex medical procedures by non-medical personnel in emergency situations and under difficult operational conditions must be developed. Physiologically based medical patient simulation will be an essential tool for development and Test and Evaluation of such processes. METI proposes to evaluate and demonstrate the ability of the Human Patient Simulator (HPS), the world?s leading physiology-based medical patient simulator, in this application. In Phase I, METI will:1) Research potential medical emergencies of manned space operational environments;2) Assess the ability of the HPS to simulate such emergencies;3) Analyze one selected emergency in detail;4) Simulate that emergency using the HPS;5) Develop and refine a prototype procedure supporting medical care in such an emergency;6) Evaluate the efficacy of the HPS as a tool in this overall process;7) Analyze potential enhancements to the HPS to improve procedure development and, subsequently, train space crewsIn Phase II, METI will implement said enhancements, execute additional procedures and investigate simulation-based crew training.