When it comes to medical technology, what's good for the astronaut is good for the rest of us, too. Thinking a little out of this world has inspired and driven the development of a host of medical technologies that have advanced the ways in which patients are diagnosed and treated, whether in space or on Earth. Earlier this week, the European Space Agency announced that it is developing a wearable augmented reality prototype that would help astronauts diagnose medical conditions — or even someday help them perform surgery — in space. A system like this could also guide emergency responders and people in underserved regions right here on Earth.

The ESA's prototype, the Computer Assisted Medical Diagnosis and Surgery System (CAMDASS) , employs something known as augmented reality, which merges actual and virtual reality. The wearer sees a combination of computer-generated graphics and his or her actual view. For now, the CAMDASS's developers are focused on its potential to guide ultrasound examinations, but it could someday be used to guide other more complicated procedures as well.

The CAMDASS uses a stereo head-mounted display and an ultrasound tool tracked via an infrared camera. The patient is tracked using markers placed at the site of interest. An ultrasound device is linked with CAMDASS and the system allows the patient's body to be "registered" to the camera while the display is calibrated to each wearer's vision. 3D augmented reality cue cards are displayed in the headset to guide the wearer to position and move the ultrasound probe.

This development is just one of many similar efforts. For example, researchers at Johnson Space Center are developing an audio/visual system that would offer guidance for inexperienced ultrasound operators. On Earth, it could help guide emergency responders as well, and be used in remote locations that don't have access to medical professionals -- which brings to mind related research efforts at the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI). Last August we reported on Dr. Dulchavsky's efforts with tele-ultrasound technology that would provide anyone with Internet access the instructions needed to obtain a diagnostic-quality ultrasound image using existing equipment, eliminating the need for a dedicated portable ultrasound device.