The successful SpaceX Demo-2 launch and docking, which carried NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken from the Space Coast of Florida to the International Space Station (ISS), not only initiated a new era in American spaceflight but also rekindled the wonder and excitement of sending humans into space.
Now, the two astronauts are getting to work in their new residence. During their stay on the space station, the Demo-2 crew has joined the Expedition 63 crew in working on maintenance of the station and scientific research onboard the orbiting laboratory. This week, one of the first experiments Hurley and Behnken will work on is a project from a Massachusetts-based startup that aims to bring benefit back those of us here on the ground. The project, sponsored by the ISS U.S. National Laboratory, seeks to enhance a drug delivery device for use in patients with conditions that require frequent injections, such as diabetes.
The project is from Cam Med Inc., a company that designs and builds microfluidics-based medical devices aimed at improving quality of life for patients. Cam Med has developed the Evopump—the first truly bandage-like patch pump for subcutaneous delivery of one or more medications. Cam Med hopes their ISS National Lab project, which launched on SpaceX’s 20th commercial resupply services mission is supported by Ohio-based engineering services company ZIN Technologies, will help them improve dosage control in the Evopump.
Space-based research is important to Cam Med because the functional absence of gravity reduces some complexities of the physical environment, allowing more thorough studies in microfluidics. Onboard the space station, the research team can evaluate processes such as bubble formation and behavior in ways not possible on the ground. A better understanding of how bubbles evolve on the Evopump electrode could allow Cam Med to further enhance the device and its benefits for potential patients. ZIN Technologies was acquired by Voyager Space in March 2023.
