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old title Mars Dome Medical and Health Monitoring of crew
This topic also needs to cover space requirement, equipment for care, plus the things needed for surgery.
We talked briefly in Oldfart1939 "Companion for Mars Expedition Number One; 17 crew members topic wiki exploration." to the cross training and need for not Doctors but more like registered nurses in training to fill the need.
Medical and health monitoring systems on Mars missions will need to handle injuries and illnesses without the possibility of return to Earth. Telemedicine setups with AI diagnostics, using wearable sensors for real-time vital tracking, are being developed for this purpose. Bone density loss and muscle atrophy from microgravity transit are other health concerns that can be mitigated by exercise regimens and pharmacological countermeasures like bisphosphonates.
Psychological health is another critical aspect of long-duration space missions. Protocols are being developed to combat isolation in crews confined for over two years, including virtual reality simulations of Earth environments.
Much can be learned from the studies on the ISS and other remote places when a real doctor is required.
Much of the tasks fall under well care.
The Mars Doctor: Medical Affairs Reaching Deep Space
Simulation-based Medical Emergency Training for Deep-Space Missions
While specific plans for a 20-person Mars mission are conceptual, the recommended staffing ratio, based on research into long-duration spaceflight simulations, is approximately one medical professional per every four crew members. This suggests a 20-person mission would ideally have a five-person medical team, composed of a mix of physicians and paramedics/medical specialists.
Medical Team Composition & Role
The "Space Medical Doctor" (SMD) on a Mars mission would have a multifaceted role, encompassing more than just primary care due to the long duration and communication delays with Earth (up to 40 minutes one way).
Key functions would include:
Flight Surgeon/Primary Care Physician: Responsible for the overall health and well-being of the crew.
Surgeon/Emergency Medicine Physician: Essential for managing acute trauma and surgical needs, as medical evacuation is not an option.
Specialists: Potentially a dentist, psychologist, pharmacist, and laboratory technician, possibly filled by cross-trained team members.
Scientist: The medical officer would also conduct research on the effects of spaceflight on the human body.
Medical Autonomy & Technology
Due to the communication lag, crews will require significant autonomy during medical emergencies. Research and development efforts are focused on providing advanced support systems:
"Just-in-Time" Training: Immersive training using technologies like VR and AR to prepare non-medical crew members to assist in procedures.
Advanced Diagnostics: Development of portable diagnostic tools, such as specialized ultrasound technology for issues like kidney stones.
Biomedical Technologies: Utilizing technologies like biochips for rapid analysis and potentially 3D printing for customized medical equipment, casts, and even basic tissues or drugs.
AI Assistants: NASA and Google are exploring the use of AI medical assistants to aid crews in decision-making and patient care without constant ground support.
Current Research
Analog missions, such as NASA's CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) and The Mars Society's Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), use small crews (typically 4-6 people) that include a crew medical officer to test these protocols and gather data on the physical and psychological challenges of long-duration isolation
Key functions of the Space Medical Doctor (SMD)
1) Flight Surgeon/Primary Care Physician
2) Dentist
3) Scientist
4) Psychologist
5) Safety Officer
6) Pharmacist
7) Nursing
8) Rehabilitation technician
9) Emergency Medical Technician
10) Laboratory Technician
11) Medical writer and journalist
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This post is reserved for an index to posts that may be contributed by NewMars members.
Index:
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other topics containing the term "medical", fall in the large ship topics.
I am sure that lots of different medical and medications will need to be set for at minimal a complete suite of capability to go with the capable personnel that we will task for the well care and medical treatment capabilities, We have an idea of the what to expect from the remote locations as we will need to have the ability to do these things.
Sure we need a list for outfitting but its mostly for quantity and mass.
For a Mars mission with a 20-person crew requiring an autonomous, advanced medical capability including surgery, the medical bay and trauma area would need to be designed to accommodate a fully functional medical team and a patient, likely requiring a clear floor area of at least 250 to 300 square feet (23-28 sq meters). This size is based on terrestrial hospital guidelines for single-patient trauma rooms, adapted for a long-duration space mission's specific needs.
Medical Team Composition
Given the autonomy required for a deep space mission due to communication delays, the crew would likely include at least one or more highly trained medical professionals, potentially a flight surgeon or physician with diverse expertise. The number and skill sets of the medical team would need to support:
First aid and clinical diagnostics.
Dental care.
Trauma and emergency care.
Basic surgical capabilities.
Management of medical equipment and supplies, including potential sterilization units.
The team size would be determined by balancing the need for redundancy in expertise against the overall crew size constraints of the spacecraft.
Medical Bay Size
Trauma/Procedure Area: Terrestrial guidelines suggest a clear floor area of 250 sq ft (23 sq m) for a single-patient trauma room to ensure sufficient space for medical staff (multiple providers, potentially a trauma team), equipment, and patient access (minimum 5 feet clearance around the stretcher). A deep space habitat medical bay concept design from NASA incorporates a specific area for procedures/surgery.
Total Medical Bay: The overall medical bay would need to be larger to include areas for:
Stowage of equipment and pharmaceuticals.
Diagnostic equipment (e.g., X-ray, ultrasound, lab equipment).
Sanitation and waste management specific to medical waste.
Private consultation and record keeping using a dedicated medical computer system.
The specific dimensions would also consider anthropometric constraints (accommodating the 1st percentile female to the 99th percentile male crew population) and the unique requirements of a microgravity or partial-gravity environment, such as patient and equipment restraints
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TECHNOLOGY — Colonization of Mars — Establishing Infrastructure on Mars — Health and Medical Care
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Bare Minimum for a Shelter on Mars
Project use is now dead
To support a 200 plus dome population
For a Mars mission or colony of 200 crew members, mission concepts and analog studies suggest a dedicated medical team of several professionals with diverse specializations, supported by a substantial medical bay designed for high autonomy and comprehensive care.
Medical Team Composition
A crew of 200 would require a significant, multi-disciplinary medical team, as real-time evacuation or Earth-based consultation is not feasible due to communication delays (up to 24 minutes each way). The team would need to handle a wide range of conditions, from primary and preventative care to emergency trauma and surgery.
While specific numbers for a 200-person Mars mission are not finalized in publicly available sources, an internal naval comparison suggests a ratio of approximately one medical staff member for every 8-10 crew members in a large-scale scenario. Extrapolating to 200 people, this would imply a core team of approximately 20-25 medical professionals, including:
Physicians with broad experience in emergency medicine, family medicine, and general surgery.
Nurses and paramedics.
Specialists such as anesthesiologists, radiologists, and potentially dental professionals.
Psychologists/Psychiatrists to manage behavioral health and crew well-being in isolation.
Biomedical engineers/technicians for equipment maintenance and lab analysis.
All general crew members would also receive advanced first-aid training.
Medical Bay ("Sick Bay") Size and Design
The "bay size" is not a fixed dimension but rather a functional space designed to support comprehensive medical operations, from routine check-ups to complex surgeries. The design considerations emphasize autonomy and on-site capability:
Functionality: The facility must support Level IV or V care (advanced life support, basic and potentially advanced surgical care, dental, and diagnostic capabilities).
Space Standards: The medical bay must be designed to accommodate a full range of human sizes (from 1st percentile female to 99th percentile male), ensuring adequate work volume, accessibility, and range of motion for medical procedures.
Key Units: The facility would likely include:
Examination and procedure rooms.
An operating/surgical suite.
Laboratory for on-site analysis.
Dental care unit.
Inpatient/recovery beds.
Storage for medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and equipment.
Waste management unit for medical waste disposal.
Infrastructure: It requires robust life support interfaces, specialized lighting, infection control mechanisms, privacy considerations, and integrated communication systems for telemedicine support from Earth-based flight surgeons.
Overall, the medical bay would be a significant, modular portion of the habitat, designed for self-sufficiency in a resource-restricted and extreme environment
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Space for patients and staff to make use of carves out square meters for each item and needs specific lighting, Specific OR areas super clean.
Medication security and more to aid in keep crew safe and alive while on mars.
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