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Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer
lab on a chip system (Credit: Agilent Technologies). |
Flight
surgeons must periodically check the astronauts’ health status
during spaceflight. Current test methods produce waste from the
test material and require disposal. Glenn is working with Ames
Research Center and Case Western Reserve to create a reusable lab-on-a-chip
device.
In this concept, a drop of blood or urine is placed on a small microtest
chip. Test results quantifying the health of major organ systems
are generally available in a few minutes. While the system currently
in use on the ISS performs well, each test requires hardware that
must be disposed after one use. Because long duration missions cannot
afford the volume associated with disposable devices, this task seeks
to develop concepts for making the chips reusable.
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