A non-invasive approach to monitor anemia during long-duration spaceflight with retinal fundus images and deep learning.

Journal: Life sciences in space research
PMID: 35491031

Abstract

During spaceflight, astronauts can experience significantly higher levels of hemolysis. With future space missions exposing astronauts to longer periods of microgravity, such as missions to Mars, there will be a need to better understand this phenomenon. We have proposed that retinal fundus photography and deep learning may be utilized to help further understand this microgravity-induced, anemic process for future spaceflight. By utilizing astronaut and terrestrial analog metadata, a foundation can be built to develop an algorithm that allows for non-invasive retinal imaging to quantify hemoglobin levels and detect anemia during spaceflight. This approach would allow for a non-invasive retinal photograph that can be done frequently during spaceflight as opposed to an invasive blood draw and subsequent tests.

Authors

  • Ethan Waisberg
    University College Dublin School of Medicine, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address: ethan.waisberg@ucdconnect.ie.
  • Joshua Ong
  • Nasif Zaman
    Human-Machine Perception Laboratory, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada, United States.
  • Sharif Amit Kamran
    Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
  • Andrew G Lee
    Center for Space Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States; Department of Ophthalmology, Blanton Eye Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States; The Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States; Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, United States; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States; University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States; Texas A&M College of Medicine, Texas, United States; Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, United States.
  • Alireza Tavakkoli
    Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA.

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