Physicians currently rely on MRIs to assess whether a patient’s muscle size and volume have deteriorated, but frequent testing can be time-consuming and costly, and cannot be done continuously or in extreme environments like space.
NASA astronaut Shannon Walker, uses an exercise system designed to prevent muscle loss while aboard the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station. According to NASA, even crew members on short spaceflights can experience up to a 20% loss in muscle mass and bone density.
The device, which resembles a blood pressure cuff, contains an electromagnetic sensor made out of electrically conductive thread stitched in a zig-zag pattern across the fabric. As the muscle size of the wearer grows or shrinks, so does the shape of the sensor, which also changes its electrical properties.IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineeringthe sensor could measure small volume changes in overall limb size and monitor muscle loss of up to 51%.
The study builds on Rice’s previous work creating health sensors for NASA and was inspired by health issues facing astronauts whose prolonged time in space at zero gravity often results in profound muscle and bone loss.
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