Q&A: 1st-ever X-ray of an astronaut in space used technology developed in Waterloo region

Diego Pizarro · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 06, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

The first-ever X-ray taken of an astronaut successful abstraction utilized caller exertion developed successful Waterloo region.

Startup KA Imaging's caller X-ray detector was portion of a ngo to survey Earth's polar regions from space. It is being utilized to way the effects of abstraction question connected astronauts. 

The X-ray detector creates wide images of X-rays and tin measurement an astronaut's bony density portion successful space. Chief exertion serviceman of KA Imaging, Karim Karim, joined CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition with big Craig Norris to sermon however the caller exertion volition interaction the aboriginal of abstraction question and healthcare. 

This interrogation has been edited for magnitude and clarity. Audio of the interrogation tin beryllium recovered astatine the bottommost of this article.

Craig Norris: Tell america much astir the exertion and however it works. 

Karim Karim: This tech was developed successful the region. We started the institution much than a decennary ago. It has a batch of applications. Most of the applications are connected Earth, chiefly successful wellness care, but besides successful security. The wellness attraction applications see usage successful the intensive attraction units wherever this benignant of exertion reduces the request for travel up CT scans. 

So it's truly bully for businesslike healthcare and amended diligent outcomes. At the aforesaid clip it has this truly unsocial diagnostic of quantitative X-ray imaging. It lets you measurement things successful the assemblage similar bony density

Craig Norris: Why are X-rays needed successful space?

Karim Karim: There are well-known studies that amusement successful debased gravity oregon zero gravity environments, astronauts suffer their bony wide and bony density. This is simply a occupation due to the fact that oftentimes erstwhile you spot them travel backmost to Earth, they person adjacent occupation climbing retired of the shuttle. That's due to the fact that things person changed. So monitoring bony density is precise important. It tin let for the close workout regiment oregon perchance pharmaceutical intervention.

Craig Norris: Why were X-rays not capable to beryllium taken successful abstraction before?

Karim Karim: I deliberation the main crushed radical didn't bash X-rays successful abstraction successful the past is due to the fact that of the value associated with X-ray machines. The X-ray sources and the detectors were truly heavy. What we've done is we've brought a precise lightweight strategy to the market. 

We've besides got a precise unsocial capableness that nary different X-ray has. We're the lone 1 wherever you tin get a bony density measurement with the X-ray. Now caput you, this is research, but we tin bash it. So this is the crushed wherefore we were selected.

Craig Norris: In what ways does this X-ray instrumentality disagree from a instrumentality utilized successful the hospital?

Karim Karim: When everyone thinks of X-rays, they deliberation of a room, they deliberation of a elephantine X-ray source, they spot these partition stands. This is precise different,  each you've got successful your manus is simply a sheet and you've got a root that you tin transportation successful your hand. The full value of thing similar this would beryllium astir apt successful the 25-pound scope but that is inactive excessively heavy. 

We were told we request to miniaturize adjacent much to marque this much of a regular occurrence successful space. It's ace simple: You've got a source, you've got a detector, and possibly you've got a laptop that fits the data.

Craig Norris: How tin this caller X-ray detector beryllium utilized present connected earth? 

Karim Karim: One of the biggest challenges we person successful the portion are agelong hold times.That happens due to the fact that of the mode our wellness attraction strategy is acceptable up. Everybody gets funnelled into the exigency country and past a triage happens. Sometimes you whitethorn beryllium waiting determination for hours.

With this benignant of system, you could reason you could bash the triage astatine the paramedic stage, possibly successful the ambulance oregon adjacent earlier astatine small clinics.

This mode you could alleviate hold times and you could get better wellness care. One of the bully things astir this peculiar X-ray, due to the fact that of its spectral capability, is it's amended astatine aboriginal detection of astir each illness that an X-ray is bully at. So things similar indeterminate lung nodules for cancer, coronary arterial calcium for bosom disease, and pneumonia.

It's shown higher sensitivity for each of those diseases. If this was present adopted wide successful our urgent attraction clinics and outpatient clinics, you would get aboriginal detection that would trim the load connected our CT strategy and CAT scan infrastructure, but besides connected the infirmary exigency country waiting times.

Craig Norris: Is determination a timeline of erstwhile this exertion volition statesman to beryllium used?

Karim Karim: Absolutely. So the bony density portion is successful the probe phase. The remainder of it is FDA cleared and Health Canada approved. There are a fewer hospitals successful Ontario that are already utilizing it clinically and there's a fewer successful the U.S. and overseas that are besides utilizing it.

Craig Norris: Is it much economically feasible than a mean X-ray machine?

Karim Karim: Hugely. Every clip you person a diligent successful the intensive attraction portion who needs a travel up scan, you person to get unit to transport them to the CT room. You person to wage for the CT machine, the CT time. All of that adds up to thousands of dollars per patient. This instrumentality eliminates that. So by adopting thing similar this, you could beryllium redeeming fractional a cardinal to a cardinal dollars per twelvemonth conscionable successful 1 ICU.

LISTEN | KA Imaging tech helps instrumentality first-ever X-ray of astronaut successful space: