Midterm Progress Report: Mars Healthcare Facility Design by Team Mars ER at Texas A&M, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Biology

Download Midterm Progress Report: Mars Healthcare Facility Design by Team Mars ER at Texas A&M and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Biology in PDF only on Docsity! - 1 - A Healthcare Facility for the Initial Human Exploration of Mars Team Mars ER Formal Progress Report Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77840 Laura Colleen Dillenbeck, Biomedical Engineering Class of 2006 Cheng-Chung Hsu, Biomedical Engineering Class of 2006 Stephen Dao, Biomedical Engineering Class of 2006 Holly Gibbs, Biomedical Engineering Class of 2006 Dr. Charles Lessard Faculty Advisor Department of Biomedical Engineering clessard@bme.tamu.edu Dr. Humboldt Mandell Senior Research Fellow- Center for Space Research mandell@csr.utexas.edu - 2 - Table of Contents Page Number Introduction……………………………………………………………………………… 3 Identification and Significance of Problem or Opportunity………………………….. 3 Technical Objectives and Assumptions………………………………………………. 3 Timeline Status..………………………………………………………………………… 5 Budget Status…………………………………………………………………………… 5 Database Refinement…………………………………………………...……………… 6 Facility Design………………….……………………………………………………….. 7 Optional Areas/Deliverables Update….………………………………………………. 12 Conclusion….……………………………………………………………………………. 12 References………………………………………………………………………………. 13 Appendices A. Summary of Weekly Hours…………………………………………………… 14 B. Gantt Chart……………………………………………………………………… 15 List of Figures 1. 1. Room Dimensions……………………………………………………………. 2. 2. Surgical Table during Sterilization……………………………………….. 3. 3. Surgical Table during Surgery……………………………………………. 4. 4. General Purpose Area………………………………………………………. 5. 5. Refrigerator/Freezer…………………………………………………………. 6. 8 9 10 11 11 List of Tables 1. Midterm Budget Update…....……………………………………………….. 5 - 5 - means for the winds to exert significant force on the habitat. The shape already specified by NASA will easily survive the Martian winds. Timeline Status Since the team began work on Phase II of the project this semester, the proposed schedule, which can be seen in Appendix B, has been primarily on track. The team has completed sorting out design review suggestions (Task 4.1), the final SBIR proposal, the TSGC Level I report (Task 4.6.1), meetings with Larry Bell at U of H and Dr. Shipman (Tasks 4.7.1 and 4.7.2), and questions presented at the meeting at U of H (Task 4.8). Even though deadlines for certain tasks have been extended in response to delays, overall project progress was not affected. All deliverables and requirements have been met to date, and the team fully expects to wrap up the project on time. Budget Status The budget is outlined in Table 1 below: Table 1. Midterm Budget Update Expected earnings with Remaining funds $1,693 Projected As of 3/20/06 Remaining Basic Research Expenses $70 $70 Expenses for Design Materials $80 $80 Telephone, copies, faxes Presentation Materials $300 $76.23 $223.77 Poster boards, Photos, Cardstock Travel Expenses $600 $314.72 $285.28 Gas, Lodging, Food Miscellaneous Expenses $200 $200 Funds Remaining $1,302.05 So far this semester, expenses have been mainly travel related. The team has taken two trips: one to the University of Houston, and one to Kohrville Elementary School in Tomball. The team has also spent money on presentation supplies for both the design of the module and the outreach project. - 6 - Database Refinement The team is currently working to finalize the database created during Phase I. This lengthy document includes the working condition, medication, and equipment lists. Refinements were intended to be completed during the first quarter of the semester; however, due to the size and complexity of the database, the team had difficulty gathering much needed details. For example, weight and size estimates can vary depending on the brand or model of equipment, as well as the amount of redundancy built into the design. Progress on the database, although slower than expected, is continuing and the team expects to have it completed by the end of the semester. This delay has not adversely impacted project progress as a whole, and database refinement and facility design are expected to continue simultaneously through the remainder of the semester. Part of this extension is centered on the effort to continually integrate new ideas. Most recently, the team began work to integrate risk assessment into the database itself. In order to factor in risk, the team chose to develop a detailed decision matrix. A risk number will then be calculated, which can be used to determine equipment packages based on the amount of risk a mission is willing to accept. Pressures to minimize weight and size, beyond the constraints given in this project, may force future missions to make equipment cuts. This numerical ranking should help guide these decisions, and determine which conditions pose the most serious risk to the mission as a whole. The risk number will be calculated from the severity and likelihood of occurrence for each condition. Severity is determined by integrating threat to the mission with the overall threat to health. While a broken leg might severely impair an astronaut’s mission functionality, he will face little risk of death, and adverse health effects will be recoverable. The two factors will be related by the following formulas: Severity = (0.4 * Threat to Mission) + (0.6 * Threat to Health) Equation 1 Risk Number = Severity * Likelihood of Occurrence Equation 2 As is seen in Equation 1 above, weighting factors were incorporated into the formula. These weighting factors quantify the fact that threat to health has a relatively higher impact on a condition’s severity than the overall threat to the mission. Within reason, the health of the astronaut is always paramount. In order to assist in objectifying these abstract factors, a detailed scoring system was developed. Each factor (threat to mission, threat to health and likelihood of occurrence) will be ranked on a scale from one to five. A breakdown for each factor is shown below: Threat to Mission 1: No effect on mission 2: Still functional; temporary loss of efficiency 3: Certain task limitations - 7 - 4: Most basic tasks cannot be completed 5: Incapacitated indefinitely Threat to Health 1: Nuisance; no threat 2: Recoverable; less than a week 3: Recoverable; less than a month 4: Severe health effects; long time to recover, if at all 5: Death imminent Likelihood of Occurrence 1: very highly unlikely 2: unlikely 3: probably will occur; few cases 4: probable; more cases 5: very probable; frequent occurrence Ranking data will be collected from Dr. Shipman, and final calculation of risk numbers should be completed and integrated within the database by the week of April 9th. Facility Design The goals for the physical design of the healthcare facility are to define a layout for cabinetry and countertops according to function and to place the equipment detailed in the database in relevant and efficient locations. Physical details of the design are not in the scope of this project. Progress on each segment of the facility is detailed below. Room Design The format of the room in which the healthcare facility is housed is defined by examination of Robert Zubrin’s The Case for Mars, by NASA’s Direct Reference Mission and through conversations with Janis Connolly [4,3,1]. The dimensions of the room are shown below in Figure 1. - 10 - Figure 3. Surgical Table during Surgery. To keep the center of the room clear for possible surgical procedures, all other storage and equipment are located along the perimeter of the room. General Purpose Area Some floor space is set aside for an exam chair and the imaging equipment. At this time, the imaging equipment is the smallest available x-ray machine, but it is still being evaluated. Next to this space is a floor to ceiling storage unit that will contain supplies to treat the most common medical conditions. This corner of the room is analogous to a family practice doctor’s office. This area is shown in Figure 4. - 11 - Figure 4. General Purpose Area. Hand washing Sink and Storage Toward the core of the habitat, where the water lines are, there is a hand washing sink in a large counter and storage unit. On the opposite side of the door leading to the core of the habitat, an identical unit is included for hazardous waste disposal. Refrigerator A freezer/refrigerator unit is necessary for the research and medical equipment that must be stored at or below freezing during the crew’s stay. It is located an outer corner as shown in Figure 5. Figure 5. Refrigerator/Freezer. Additional Storage and Countertop Additional storage is located between the refrigerator and the surgical table. The purpose of this unit is to provide a diagnostic area when blood tests need to be evaluated, etc. It may also be used for research. - 12 - Optional Areas/Deliverables Update Due to the team’s affiliation with TSGC, several additional deliverables are required throughout the course of the semester. Class deliverables including the Final SBIR Proposal and weekly progress reports have thus far been completed according to schedule. The Level I Report was completed for TSGC, as well as weekly Tuesday- Tag-Ups. In regards to Optional Area requirements, the team has completed the outreach project, and plans to submit the report along with Level II on Friday the 24 th of March. A report detailing the team’s website will also be submitted with Level II, which will complete requirements for Optional Area II. A formal presentation is currently being planned for several members of the Architecture Department here at A&M, and completion of this presentation will satisfy requirements for Optional Area III. Completion of the Level III Report and Design Challenge for TSGC and the Final Report and Poster Presentation for class will mark the conclusion of the project. Conclusion Team Mars ER has reached the midpoint of Phase II efforts and is right on task. Efforts to finalize the database have faced slight delays, but have not hindered overall progress. Remaining details will be incorporated and risk numbers evaluated, prior to the final report. Design of the facility is progressing smoothly, and no real delays have been seen. Completion of deliverables for both TSGC and for class have been completed on schedule, and two of the optional areas will be satisfied by the end of the week. Completion of the third optional area will be completed in the coming weeks, pending a meeting date to be determined by architecture faculty. All budget needs have been easily met, and the team fully expects to complete the project with a surplus. The project is on schedule to be wrapped up in time for the Design Showcase on April 24 th.