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Ocular Coherence Tomography in the Evaluation of Anterior Eye Injuries in Space FlightWhile Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT) is not a first-line modality to evaluate anterior eye structures terrestrially, it is a resource already available on the International Space Station (ISS) that can be used in medical contingencies that involve the anterior eye. With remote guidance and subject matter expert (SME) support from the ground, a minimally trained crewmember can now use OCT to evaluate anterior eye pathologies on orbit. OCT utilizes low-coherence interferometry to produce detailed cross-sectional and 3D images of the eye in real time. Terrestrially, it has been used to evaluate macular pathologies and glaucoma. Since 2013, OCT has been used onboard the ISS as one part of a suite of hardware to evaluate the Visual Impairment/Intracranial Pressure risk faced by astronauts, specifically assessing changes in the retina and choroid during space flight. The Anterior Segment Module (ASM), an add-on lens, was also flown for research studies, providing an opportunity to evaluate the anterior eye in real time if clinically indicated. Anterior eye pathologies that could be evaluated using OCT were identified. These included corneal abrasions and ulcers, scleritis, and acute angle closure glaucoma. A remote guider script was written to provide ground specialists with step-by-step instructions to guide ISS crewmembers, who do not get trained on the ASM, to evaluate the anterior eye. The instructions were tested on novice subjects and/or operators, whose feedback was incorporated iteratively. The final remote guider script was reviewed by SME optometrists and NASA flight surgeons. The novel application of OCT technology to space flight allows for the acquisition of objective data to diagnose anterior eye pathologies when other modalities are not available. This demonstrates the versatility of OCT and highlights the advantages of using existing hardware and remote guidance skills to expand clinical capabilities in space flight.
Document ID
20160012270
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Fer, Dan M. (California Univ. San Francisco, CA, United States)
Law, Jennifer (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Wells, Julia (KBRwyle Science, Technology and Engineering Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
October 12, 2016
Publication Date
April 29, 2017
Subject Category
Aerospace Medicine
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-37608
Meeting Information
Meeting: Aerospace Medical Association Scientific Meeting (AsMA)
Location: Denver, CO
Country: United States
Start Date: April 29, 2017
End Date: May 4, 2017
Sponsors: Aerospace Medical Association
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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