Page 112 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

body accelerations and skin temperature—and, for the function at a more detailed level than many smart
first time, cardiac mechanics such as contraction and garments available in today’s market place.
relaxation times. Adequate, quality sleep is important for overall health
“The beating heart produces vibrations in the thorax, and physical and cognitive performance for astronauts
and the vest measures and analyzes these minute and people on Earth. This investigation could mean
vibrations, signals known as a seismocardiogram,” sweeter dreams for everyone.
explained principal investigator Marco Di Rienzo of FUTURA, ASI’s second long-term mission, included
Italy’s Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi. “Commonly, nine scientific research and Italian technology projects
cardiac contractility is evaluated by ultrasound. performed during the 6 months that Cristoforetti spent
This produces a detailed picture of heart performance, aboard the space station.
but only allows measurement during limited times in a
controlled environment and requires an expert operator.
The seismocardiogram measured by the wearable Three-dimensional Bioprinting in Space
device provides a prolonged beat-to-beat profile of
cardiac mechanics in an unobtrusive manner, out Nanotechnology development allows for the
of a laboratory setting.” management of living cells, tissue spheroids and
synthetic microscaffolds by using magnetic fields.
Researchers can use these data on sleep physiology This, in turn, leads to attempts to create magnetic
in microgravity to explore causes of astronauts’ poor bioprinters.
sleep quality. The vest also could be used as a non-
invasive and less disruptive way to continuously monitor However, the first attempts to create magnetic
astronauts for a wide range of vital signs during sleep bioprinters showed that terrestrial gravitation represents
and waking hours. a significant limitation. It is reasonable to assume that in
a gravity-free environment, magnetic and diamagnetic
On Earth, a version of MagIC-Space technology could levitation will allow not only so-called “formative”
simplify the study and treatment of sleep disorders. biofabrication of three-dimensional (3-D) tissue
About a quarter of people in developed nations suffer constructions, but even programmable self-assembly
from sleep disorders, and studying them currently of 3-D tissue constructions in a controlled magnetic
requires complex, specialized instruments that can field. The space magnetic 3-D bioprinter, which can
be expensive and time-consuming to operate. manage tissue spheroids in microgravity, is a practical
The vest could simultaneously and unobtrusively implementation of the new perspective concept of
monitor autonomic, electrical and mechanical heart formative biofabrication. Microgravity biofabrication on
B4H 3rd Edition
activity and respiration. Additionally, as part of a smart the basis of magnetic forces transforms the technology
garment, the technology can provide real- time fitness of 3-D bioprinting and opens real opportunities for
tracking by measuring complex cardiac and respiratory programmable self-assembly of tissue and organ
constructions of tissue spheroids in 3-D space without
solid scaffolds. Formative fabrication and programmable
self-assembly are revolutionary manufacturing and
biofabrication technologies of the 21st century.
Sleep Monitoring
Receives a Valuable
“Wake-up Call”
Wearable Monitoring confirmed The space magnetic 3-D
Scientific
Economic
the use of a smart garment to monitor a wide bioprinter, which can manage
Valuation
Valuation
range of vital signs during sleep in microgravity. tissue spheroids in microgravity,
This resulted in less- complicated devices used
to measure sleep patterns on Earth, as well as is a practical implementation of
ECONOMIC
SCIENTIFIC
the prospect of doctors monitoring patients the new perspective concept
VALUATION
VALUATION
located in remote locations.
of formative biofabrication.

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