Utilizing Biometrics in Closed-Loop Compression Garment Systems as a Countermeasure for Orthostatic Intolerance

Orthostatic intolerance (OI) is commonly experienced by individuals exposed to rapid gravitational changes, such as pilots in high-G maneuvers and returning astronauts. OI results from blood pooling in the lower body, causing dizziness, vision disturbances, and, in severe cases, syncope. Compression garments are used to address these symptoms, but current designs are bulky, manually activated, and provide static compression, limiting their effectiveness. This research aims to fill these gaps by developing an advanced, autonomous compression garment that leverages real-time physiological data in a closed-loop system to mitigate OI severity and risks. This objective will be accomplished through the following specific aims: - Specific Aim 1: To identify the optimal textile-active material combination to provide adequate compression in the lower body to mitigate the negative effects of OI events. This aim will determine the most effective way of combining textiles and active materials in a garment for optimal compression, comfort, and energy efficiency. - Specific Aim 2: To develop algorithms capable of predicting OI events in real time as a function of an individual's biometrics. This will allow for the automatic determination of OI events and the ability to apply compression as an automatic countermeasure without human intervention. - Specific Aim 3: To evaluate the efficacy of the compression garment system through human-in-the-loop experiments. This will ensure that the compression garment system performs reliably in ground based analogues to ensure that the system will perform nominally in the designated environments. This innovation aligns with NASA's goals in its Human Research Roadmap (HRR) and Technology Taxonomy, addressing the need for cardiovascular countermeasures (CV-202) and maintaining crew health and performance in space (TX06.3.2). The development of a fully autonomous compression garment system enhances astronaut safety during critical mission phases, providing on-demand, personalized physiological support, without the need for ground intervention.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.