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Space Science And Medical Technology: To See Or Not To See
Pasadena CA (SPX) Nov 12, 2004 Vision is the primary sense used by astronauts in space. Visual information is essential during critical phases of space flight, such as rendezvous and docking, robotic operations and landing. The spaceflight environment has many significant effects on the visual and ocular system that can adversely affect astronaut performance, and may lead to long-term health consequences. In two free public lectures, Dr. Wolfgang Fink, JPL senior research scientist and assistant professor of ophthalmology and neurosurgery at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, will describe tools for early detection, diagnosis and prevention of eye disorders in space and on Earth. The lectures will take place Thursday evening, Nov. 18, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and on Friday evening, Nov. 19, at Pasadena City College. "Blindness is not necessarily an irreversible stroke of fate any more," said Fink. "We are at the dawn of artificial vision, thanks to recent developments in microdevices and image processing." Fink and his visual and autonomous exploration systems research group at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena are working on computer-enhanced vision for patients wearing visual prostheses. On Earth, there are many conditions that, if not detected, may lead to irreversible vision loss or blindness. The human eye and vision system can be likened to a camera consisting of an optical lens system (cornea and eye lens), film (retina), and an image- processing unit (retina and visual cortex). The malfunctioning of only one of these components will impair vision. The free lectures are part of JPL's Theodore von Karman Lecture Series. Both will begin at 7 p.m. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The Thursday lecture will be in JPL's von Karman Auditorium at 4800 Oak Grove Dr., off the Oak Grove Drive exit of the 210 (Foothill) Freeway. The Friday lecture will be in Pasadena City College's Vosloh Forum, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Pasadena City College SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Space Medicine Technology and Systems
Genomic Sequences Processed In Minutes, Rather Than Weeks
Richland WA (SPX) Jun 22, 2005A new computational tool developed at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is speeding up our understanding of the machinery of life - bringing us one step closer to curing diseases, finding safer ways to clean the environment and protecting the country against biological threats. |
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