IT&C Medical Industry: Texts of Reference

NASA and the University of Mississippi Medical Center Working Together
Date: 13.09.2001
Source: Federal Telemecine News

NASA and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMC) have joined together to work on performing surgical procedures in space for future long-term space ventures. In a test project to prepare for future medical attention in space, NASA is providing telecommunications and medical imaging linkups.

A UMC physician Dr. Sewell, Chief of UMC’s Division of Interventional Oncology and Assistant Professor of Radiology in Jackson Mississippi is directing interventional (image guided) surgeries to patients in 2 hospitals in Japan. The physicians, who will perform the interventional surgeries in Japan, as directed by Dr. Sewell are Dr. Tadashi Shimizu of Hokkaido University Hospital in Sapporo and Dr Jyunta Harada of Jikeo University Hospital in Kashiwa

The medical telecommunications networking logistics such as sending high quality I-MRI images in nearly real time from either of the Japanese hospitals to Dr. Sewell in Jackson, and performing simultaneous video conferencing, will be perfected in the near future.

As the system is developed, it may one day allow on-board astronaut/physicians to perform a variety of surgeries on long term missions. Surgical specialists will be able to perform surgeries on space stations or on trips to Mars. The project is beneficial to UMC, as the project may allow internationally accomplished surgeons to practice globally or in space via state-of-the-art telecommunications networking.