太空飞行相关的神经眼部综合症(SANS)影响了约百分之七十的国际太空站太空人。在微重力环境下,体液的堆积会挤压眼球并导致视力受损。对于即将到来的长期深空探索任务而言,这构成严重的操作与健康风险。(关键数字:70)
为了应对此问题,欧洲太空总署(ESA)委托英国新创公司 Siloton 开发一款小型的眼部扫描仪器。该设备利用量子技术,将传统庞大的视光设备核心组件缩小到一个比硬币还小的光子晶片上。
这款自动化的设备将使太空人能够在无需地面人员即时指导的情况下进行自我扫描,克服了深空通讯延迟的挑战。这项专为太空设计的研发成果,也将有助于 Siloton 改进其为英国国民保健署(NHS)患者提供的居家视网膜扫描设备。
Spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) affects roughly 70 percent of astronauts on the International Space Station. In a microgravity environment, fluid buildup squashes the eyeballs and causes vision impairment, posing serious operational and health risks for upcoming long-duration deep space missions.
To address this issue, the ESA commissioned the British startup Siloton to develop a compact eye-scanning device. The technology utilizes quantum technology to shrink the core components of bulky traditional optometry equipment onto a photonic chip smaller than a coin.
This automated device will enable astronauts to perform self-scans without real-time guidance from ground support, overcoming the challenge of deep space communication delays. The research and development for this space application will also help Siloton improve its home-based retinal scanning devices for NHS patients.