Title

Monitoring Cerebrospinal Fluid During Parabolic Flight

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-21-2014

Faculty Sponsor

Elisa Barney Smith

Abstract

The Boise State University Microgravity Research Team has requested a metaphorical model that simulates Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) circulation in the human body's Central Nervous System (CNS). This engineered device, identified as the CSF Flow Apparatus, should be capable of monitoring minute pressure and flow changes caused by fluctuating gravity. Results from this research could benefit astronauts and pilots who experience increased intracranial pressure after extended periods of hyper- and microgravity.

The CSF Flow Apparatus will be designed to have anatomically representative components, as seen in the CNS. The brain will be created from a Silicon Gel with a elastic moduli similar to that of the actual human brain. The fluid in this system, known as the CSF Media Mockup, will be a solution composed of distilled water and glycerin. The flow of the CSF Media Mockup will be controlled by a micro volume peristaltic pump representing the Choroid Plexus, the structure responsible for both CSF production and flow. Pressure and flow sensors will be positioned throughout the CSF Flow Apparatus to record the changes caused by the fluctuations in gravity.

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