The Canadian Space Agency will soon be testing a new device to rapidly diagnose the health of astronauts in space on the International Space Station (ISS). Microflow, a miniature flow cytometer that uses a unique fiber optics technology to test for diseases and bacterial infection within minutes, will be flown to the ISS in December for a six-month mission.
The portable technology has been scaled down from a standard flow cytometer, which could weigh hundreds of pounds. Its small size and weight make it ideally suited for use in space, where it could allow astronauts to diagnose and treat themselves and others throughout long-duration missions by testing for medical conditions without sending samples back to Earth for analysis.
These same qualities also make it extremely practical for life on Earth. It could allow people in remote communities to be tested quickly for infectious diseases, reduce healthcare costs, and bring hospital-level to those in areas affected by natural disasters where medical equipment is not readily available.
