Microgravity surgical workstation design

Abstract

Abstract Background As humanity plans for crewed long-duration missions to Moon bases, Mars, and beyond, astronauts will need more autonomy via training and hardware to deal with medical emergencies. Significant communication delays and long evacuation distances mean a surgical workstation will be a necessity on a spacecraft and could save lives. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and design of such a microgravity surgical workstation. Methods This research was conducted using two main approaches: a thorough literature review to summarise current knowledge and inform the enclosure design; and concurrently an iterative process to engineer a workstation design proposal. To the best of our knowledge, a similar surgical enclosure has never been investigated and few containment solutions have been tested in parabolic flight. This study proposes the design of a Crew Operating Microgravity Theatre Enclosure (COMTE), which has been shaped by conclusions from parabolic animal surgery experiments and direct feedback from space medicine experts and astronauts. Results A full technical characterisation of the proposed design is included in this paper, and a prototype was constructed. The defining principle of the COMTE ‘glovebox’ or sealed enclosure was to use unique fluid capillary edge-effects in microgravity to contain surgical fluids and blood during an operation. This aims to improve operator visualisation of the surgical field, whilst ensuring safety through maintaining a sterile surgical site with clear plastic and preventing contamination of the closed-loop spacecraft atmosphere. Additionally, the proposed design includes extensive research on weight, volume, and power requirements, and has been reviewed by external experts. Conclusions This engineering research not only safeguards astronauts but could present a unique solution to terrestrial surgery in remote and extreme environments. In conclusion, this paper proposes a novel engineering solution to the problem of safe and efficient surgery in space, and further work on the design will lead to both ground and parabolic testing.