Telemedicine: On, under and out of this world

New Canadian telemedicine technology being tested in an underwater laboratory off the coast of Key Largo in Florida could be used to deliver emergency diagnostic and surgical care to astronauts in space — and to patients in remote areas on Earth.

Figure. Over the moon: Mission member Dr. Craig McKinley hopes to become an astronaut. Photo by: Ken Kilpatrick

On Oct. 11, North Bay surgeon Dr. Craig McKinley and 3 astronauts-turned-aquanauts will enter the 3 х 14-metre underwater chamber Aquarius for a 10-day mission called NEEMO 7. Their main task will be to test remote surgical simulations.

Three Canadian physicians are on the mission: McKinley, Mission Commander Dave Williams and Chief Scientist Mehran Anvari. Much of the technology being tested was developed at McMaster University's Centre for Minimal Access Surgery in Hamilton, Ont.

NEEMO 7 “will have a major impact on current research and development of new technologies, including new robotic and surgical platforms that can be used on earth and beyond,” says Anvari, head of the McMaster Centre.

“The centre did some work last year with NASA, looking at all aspects of surgery,” Anvari explains. “We came to the conclusion that robotic surgery is going to be the answer because of limitations of humans in a zero gravity environment.

“Laparoscopic surgery is the preferred way because the blood and other bodily fluids are confined. … However, when a surgeon operates in zero gravity, he or she tends to exert more pressure at the tip of the instruments whereas if robots are naturally fixed, there is no pressure difference at zero gravity.”

Both telementoring (allowing Anvari to watch and advise) and telerobotics (allowing Anvari to clinically intervene in operations) will be tested aboard Aquarius. Aquarius crewmembers will participate in several mock procedures including ultrasound diagnosis, ultrasound drainage of an abscess, suturing of vessels and nerves and performing a stone extraction.

McKinley was clearly over the moon about the opportunity. “I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up,” he says. — Ken Kilpatrick, Hamilton, Ont.