GE Healthcare’s journey
into space with NASA
Well before the July 2011 launch of Space Shuttle
Atlantis, NASA started their industry search for a
compatible ultrasound system to board Atlantis on
its final voyage. This is where GE Healthcare’s journey
began.
GE Healthcare’s Ultrasound business learned of NASA’s
ultrasound experiments. These experiments advance
essential knowledge in the understanding of human
performance and adaptation in space. Ultrasound
scanning also provides an on-board means for crew
medical monitoring.
The GE Ultrasound team was interested in presenting the
Vivid* q, an ultra-compact and light weight ultrasound
system, to be used to continue these important NASA
experiments aboard the International Space Station.
Before that could happen, the system had to pass
NASA’s rigorous testing procedures, which included
radiation, temperature, flammability, and acoustic
power trials, as well as assessment of its electromagnetic
compatibility with space grade equipment.
Once initial testing was complete, the team worked through an intense rapid
development and certification process in order to ensure they’d meet the payload
launch date (which had been moved up by 12 months from the original launch date).
After this long process, the Vivid q was approved by NASA and successfully launched
with Atlantis. Shortly thereafter, the Ultrasound 2 Project Team was honored with the
2012 NASA Group Achievement Award. GE Healthcare, along with industry and NASA
team members, accepted the award at Ames Research Center’s annual NASA Honor
Awards Ceremony at Moffett Field, CA. The team was recognized for “exemplary
teamwork and dedication” in delivering an innovative ultrasound system to the
International Space Station (ISS) nine months ahead of schedule.
GE Healthcare made the successful journey to space, however this may not be the
end of our journey as the GE Global Research Center is currently working on a research
grant with NASA to expand Ultrasound use in future missions.
For more information –
Global Research Center
http://ge.geglobalresearch.com/
For more information contact:
Philip Goodridge
[email protected]
610-828-3233
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General Electric Company reserves the right to make changes in specifications and
features shown herein, or discontinue the product described at any time without notice
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