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Samuel Ko

Publications and source records attributed to Samuel Ko.

3 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2023

A Qualitative Investigation of Space Exploration Medical Evacuation Risks

Exploration beyond low Earth orbit requires innovative solutions to support the crew medically, especially as the opportunity for timely evacuation to Earth diminishes. This includes assessing the risks and benefits that a complicated medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) poses to the injured crewmember and crew and to accomplishing the mission. This qualitative study identifies common MEDEVAC risk assessment principles used in spaceflight and other extreme environments to better inform future risk assessment tools and exploration mission concepts.

cislunar↗
NASA NTRS2022

The Spleen in Spaceflight

Studies related to splenic physiology during spaceflight have focused on its immune function. However, the internal jugular deep vein thrombosis discovered during a recent space mission spotlighted that the circulatory and hemostatic physiology of spaceflight is not yet well understood and likely involve not only aspects of hemodynamics, but also the output of the reticuloendothelial system (RES), which effects homeostasis via RBC clearance, mediates platelet formation and storage, blood viscosity, and thrombotic functions. On Earth, the spleen plays an active role in the RES and hemostatic physiology. What role might the spleen play in circulation hemostatic physiology during spaceflight and what alterations in its function should be expected in the microgravity environment? In reviewing the literature to date we sought to understand: - Splenic effects on RBC clearance, anemia, and hemostasis - Splenic and splanchnic contributions to arterial and venous blood storage - How splenic and splanchnic physiology may alter in microgravity

Samuel Ko↗