The demo in space tested the rHEALTH ONE universal biomedical analyzer for its ability to precisely measure tiny samples in microgravity.
Bedford, MA, May 23, 2022. rHEALTH today announced that, in partnership with NASA, that its rHEALTH ONE universal biomedical analyzer was successfully demonstrated on-orbit at the International Space Station. Samantha Cristoforetti, the ESA astronaut part of the SpaceX Crew-4 astronaut team, demonstrated first in space operation of the sophisticated biomedical analyzer. She performed experiments across two sessions involving microliter drops of NASA-prepared control samples on May 13, 2022 between 09:00 and 17:00 GMT and again on May 16, 2022 between 10:45 and 18:30 GMT.
The rHEALTH ONE is the most powerful biomedical analyzer successfully tested onboard the space station. It made several firsts with the demonstration. It was the first biomedical analyzer to demonstrate in space the principles of solid-state, sheath-flow focused cytometry. With its optical block technology, it was the first to demonstrate two-lasers, five simultaneous data channels, allowing a new type of dense biological data collection in microgravity. Close to 100 million raw data points, sampled in microsecond time intervals, were collected with each run, which lasted a few minutes each. It was the first to demonstrate a patented in-line microvolume sample loading mechanism for small sample drops, each less than 10 microliters. This mechanism allows for repeated sample loading of scant biological samples in microgravity.
The technical achievement provides new potential capabilities for the space community, including diagnosis and monitoring of spaceflight medical conditions, such as radiation exposure, circadian rhythm disorders, bone loss, and kidney stones. Enabling research studies for these conditions can also be performed directly on-orbit without need for sample downmass, which requires samples to be stored in suboptimal conditions for long-periods of time prior to analysis. Future deep-space exploration missions provide further complex challenges, including limitations in mass, volume, and power for devices and inability to return samples back to Earth for analysis. The rHEALTH technology fulfills this critical need by having broad capabilities to measure cells, cell counts, biomarkers, microorganisms, electrolytes, and enzymes for various sample types, include blood and other bodily fluids.
“This is a remarkable accomplishment on so many different levels, only possible with close collaboration of so many exceptional teams. The demonstration solidifies our belief that the spaceship is a microcosm for our households; each is its own self-contained entity in need of direct access to healthcare,” said Eugene Chan MD, Founder and CEO of rHEALTH.
About rHEALTH
rHEALTH is a company focused on the development and commercialization of its Your Health, AnywhereTM technology. The rHEALTH blood sensor is the subject of multiple XPRIZE awards, NASA contracts, and over a dozen issued patents. The payload was developed with various groups at NASA, ZIN Technologies, and rHEALTH. For more information, visit www.rhealth.com.