Promising Belgian clinical trials thanks to astronomy
A scientific laboratory in Brussels is currently in the testing phase. If successful, it could be a major breakthrough for the medical sector.
The current study is based on technology initially used to monitor the heart and vascular health of astronauts. It also allows us to measure the impact of microgravity on astronauts’ hearts once they are in space, more than 380,000 km from Earth. Did you know that gravity has a direct effect on cardiac activity? In fact, it is less stimulated once in space, so the heart works more slowly. In this case, seismography is also being studied. A complex-sounding term, but simple in reality – it’s a method of recording the heart in the thorax.
Researchers at the Physics and Physiology Laboratory (LPHYS) at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) came up with the idea of reinventing this technology for the medical field, to detect possible congenital heart defects in children. This method has a number of advantages: it is non-invasive, inexpensive and, above all, could save many lives by detecting congenital heart defects at an early stage. Clinical trials are currently under way in two Brussels hospitals: Hôpital Erasme and the Queen Fabiola Children's University Hospital.
That's one small step from astronomy to medicine, possibly a giant leap for mankind.