GE Global Developing Probe to Study Astronauts' Eyes in Flight

Over the next three years, GE Global Research will  build and test an ultrasound probe and measurement techniques to monitor how the spaceflight affects astronauts' vision. The probe, smaller than what is on the market, It is being designed to deliver real-time, three-dimensional pictures, showing the entire globe of the eye and any potential changes in the structure and function of the eye. NASA wants a tool that "can be used to monitor astronauts, in-flight, to watch for changes in eye structure and how the eye functions,” said Aaron Dentinger with the Ultrasound Systems Lab at GE Global Research. “The goal is to develop a new ultrasound probe that has the ability to take an entire volume of the eye with a single scan.”

At least seven astronauts, with otherwise healthy eyes, returned to Earth and needed adjustments in their prescription. For some, the vision loss lasts only a few weeks; for others the condition persists much longer and may not resolve. One possible cause for these symptoms is elevated intracranial pressure from exposure to spaceflight.Read more. You can also search the blog (use the word astronauts as your keyword) for more articles about the impact of space travel on vision.