In the operating room, gravity is an important surgical tool. Without it, blood, fluids and tissues would … well … float away.
In space, the absence of that force which causes two particles to pull toward one another could prove to be a vexing problem when it comes to removing a gall bladder or pulling a tooth. The risk of contaminating a spaceship would be high.
But a team of Pittsburgh researchers – made up of neurosurgeons and biomedical engineers – is working on a novel approach to performing zero-gravity surgery, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Their tool, called the Aqueous Immersion Surgical System, was originally developed to control bleeding during brain and spinal surgeries (ruptured vessels can make it difficult to control bleeding or have a clear view of the surgical site.) Only later did they realize its potential to help conduct surgeries in space.
The tool works by providing water pressure inside a watertight containment area to control bleeding. Surgery would be performed via watertight ports through which instruments could be inserted and used. An astronaut’s blood could also be recovered during surgery for reuse.
The research team, which is currently testing its tool on NASA’s zero-gravity C-9 aircraft at the Johnson Space Center Reduced Gravity Program at Ellington Field, hopes its project will eventually be funded by NASA.