SpaceOPUS for Venous Thrombosis Risk Monitoring – A Novel Optoacoustic-Ultrasound Platform for Venous Thrombosis Risk Monitoring in Space and Transformative Cardiovascular Care on Earth

Long-duration spaceflights cause persistent fluid shifts towards the head of astronauts, increasing the risk of thrombosis. SpaceOPUS uses ultrasound examinations alongside functional optoacoustic (OptA) oxygen saturation monitoring to provide novel, spaceflight-derived biomarkers and mechanistic insights into specific veins and surrounding tissues. This enables the early detection of problems and the initiation of countermeasures.

Benefits:

• Translating clinically validated multispectral OptA into human spaceflight
• Functional vascular imaging of differential oxygenation, the internal jugular vein and surrounding tissues in microgravity
• Providing novel biomarkers and critical insights related tovenous thrombosis risk
• Objective assessment and evaluation of countermeasures in astronaut‑analogue facilities and during future missions
• The VCSEL-based probe is compact, robust and cost-efficient, and can be seamlessly integrated into existing ultrasound platforms with minimal volume and power overhead.