Connect with us

Technology

High-tech sleeping bag designed to protect astronauts’ eyesight as experts try to tackle problems caused by microgravity

A HIGH-tech sleeping bag may be able to prevent vision problems that astronauts often suffer during long space missions.

The new invention aims to relieve pressure that builds up behind the eyes when a person is in a low-gravity situation for a long period of time.

UT Southwestern Medical CenterResearchers aimed to relieve pressure on the eyes that occurs in micro-gravity[/caption]

Handout – GettyAddressing the eye issues are important for longer space missions[/caption]

Astronauts deal with this micro-gravity while in space, and it can lead to something called spaceflight-associated-neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS).

This syndrome stems from too much fluid being behind the eye due to micro-gravity; the fluid “presses on the back of the eye” and can change its shape.

The new sleeping bag, described by researchers in a December issue of JAMA Opthalmology, aims to address this issue by applying pressure to the lower body.

To test their product, researchers used the device to apply lower body negative pressure (LBNP) to people in low gravity situations.

The results suggest that “nightly LBNP may be an effective countermeasure against early markers of ocular remodeling associated with space-associated neuro-ocular syndrome.”

SANS causes astronauts to get more far-sighted and the pressure can also cause the eye’s optic nerve to swell, so it’s an important issue to address for longer space missions.

Most read in Tech

TREASURE MAP


Google Maps users need to try hack that makes it easier to use while on the go

BANKING TROJAN


Android users warned to delete password security app that STEALS your money

MAPS MADNESS


Best Google Street View animals – including Julius Caesar cat and flying hare


UP CLOSE


Genius iPhone trick will turn your smartphone into a magnifying glass


MOON BOOM


Out-of-control Musk rocket set to crash into MOON & could damage its famous face

YOU SHALL NOT PASS


How to check if your Gmail, iPhone or Facebook has been HACKED


A mission that lasts more than a year could lead to serious vision problems.

The sleeping bag looks almost like a cone, and has a seal that would snugly fit to the astronaut’s waist.

The idea for the device came from a technique scientists use to study blood pressure, according to researchers.

The small-scale study showed promising results for protecting people’s eyes, but the product has not yet been tested in space.

AFPAstronauts smile after docking at the International Space Station in November 2021[/caption]

Related Topics: