WHAT IS NASA GOOD FOR?

VISION DETECTION IN SECONDS

A device called the "auto-refractor" was designed to measure the eye's focus and determine the proper prescription for glasses. The instrument was originally developed by NASA's Ames Research Center to measure the visual performance of pilots. The machine tests a patient's eyes in seconds and can be used to test large numbers of people without a physician's attention. The device also detects cataracts and glaucoma.

CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR

A carbon-monoxide detector developed for use aboard Skylab is now being used by state and federal agencies. Previous instruments could not distinguish between carbon-monoxide and water vapor, so water vapor had to be removed before measurement. The new instrument eliminates this problem and is also more sensitive and immune to vibration. It has even been used aboard a helicopter to measure carbon-monoxide levels in the Los Angeles basin.

SHOCK ABSORBING HELMETS

Helmets used in both professional and schoolboy sports offer a new level of protection because they have three times the shock absorbing capacity of earlier types. The key to shock reduction is an interior padding of Temper Foam, a material first developed by NASA for use in aircraft seats. Temper Foam is also used for other protective sports equipment such as baseball chest protectors and soccer shin guards.

INFANT TRANSPORT MONITORING

The survival of an ill infant frequently depends on the care it receives during transportation to a hospital. A collaborative effort involving NASA's Ames Research Center and several other organizations has led to the Pediatric Monitoring and Transport System. The system includes the capability to communicate the infant's vital signs by radio to a physician at a hospital during transport. The physician can direct the specially-trained ambulance personnel in emergency treatment if the infant's condition worsens. The system uses technology developed for the physiological monitoring of astronauts.

FOREST FIRE OBSERVATION

Conditions on the perimeter of a forest fire can be observed by use of airborne remote sensing techniques demonstrated by NASA's Ames Research Center. Information acquired by infrared sensors aboard an airplane defines the fire boundary and aids fire management decisions by showing the size, shape and direction of burning and the locations of hot spots in the fire. The airplane sends sensor data in digital form to Ames Research Center, where it is computer processed into images which are overlaid on maps of the fire area. The maps are then transmitted by telecopy machine directly to the fire control center.

THERMOELECTRIC PRODUCTS

Thermoelectric refrigeration does away with the bulky coils and compressors used in conventional refrigeration. Thermoelectric modules operate on a unique principal of heat exchange: when electric current flows through specialized metallic crystals, heat is produced, and when current direction is reversed, cooling results. Units manufactured by United States Thermoelectric (UST) offer a temperature range from 35 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit and operate up to 48 hours on a 16-ounce battery pack. The units are commercial versions of systems developed for spacecraft use under contract to NASA.

SUNGLASSES LENS

Foster Grant's SPACE TECH Lens combines NASA technology with Foster Grant's own technology. The NASA contribution was a highly abrasion resistant coating developed at Ames Research Center as a means of protecting plastic surfaces of aerospace equipment from harsh environments. The lenses using the coating have several times better scratch resistance than the most popular plastic lenses.

CARDIAC FUNCTION MONITOR

Engineers at NASA's Ames Research Center developed an instrument to monitor the hearts of astronauts using ultrasound. The device forms images

of internal structures in much the same way that submarines detect underwater objects with sonar. The use of ultrasound is safer and easier than the technique of catheterization, in which a dye is injected in the heart and x-ray pictures are taken. The technique was tested at Stanford University on a group including acutely ill infants.

SATELLITE TRACKING SYSTEM

Researchers at the Center for Aerospace Sciences of the University of North Dakota (UND), Grand Forks, used three NASA Computer programs to develop a Satellite Tracking System for real time utilization of TIROS weather/environment satellite information. With the system, UND's Earth

System Science Institute will be able to routinely monitor agricultural and environmental conditions of the Northern Plains.

ARCHEOLOGICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH

The Landsat and Seasat remote sensing satellites were used by Ames Research Center to evaluate the influence of the environment on ancient Mayan civilization. Over 35 archaeological sites were imaged, providing valuable information concerning Maya settlement patterns, environment, and resource usage. The imagery was also used by Mexican authorities to develop coastal management plans, establish two Biosphere Reserves and assess damage from the 1988 Hurricane Gilbert. The imagery showed evidence of ancient coastlines, changes in sea level, an ancient river plain and Mayan canal systems. Previously unknown Mayan reservoirs were discovered. The project is considered a pioneering effort combining remote sensing, environmental studies and archeology.

BIOFEEDBACK FOR BETTER VISION

It is estimated that about 150 million people in the United States are nearsighted or farsighted. There is great interest in new devices or systems

intended to correct focusing problems, especially ways of correcting them without lenses or surgery. The Accommotrac (R) Vision Trainer invented by Dr. Joseph N. Trachtman is a NASA spinoff aid to natural rather than artificial vision improvement. It is intended to improve certain vision defects by using biofeedback to teach the patient to control the focusing muscle of the eye. The system is based on research done by NASA's Ames Research Center and a special optometer developed for Ames by Stanford Research Institute.

NASA Robot may enhance brain surgery

Non-Invasive Diagnostic Instruments (SpiraMed Corp.)

Mechanical Response Tissue Analyzer (MRTA)