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Was the 'heart pacemaker' a 'space spinoff'?
Question -- most space-spinoffs seem to be mythical, how about these
claims from a nice Jim Voss school speech, including pacemakers and Velcro? "Most astronauts don't bring anything back to earth except knowledge, Voss said, and a lot of technology, including Velcro, the pacemaker and a computer all came from the space program." http://www.oanow.com/servlet/Satelli...OAN_BasicArtic le&c=MGArticle&cid=1031778660589&path=!frontpage |
#2
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"Jim Oberg" wrote in message ...
Question -- most space-spinoffs seem to be mythical, how about these claims from a nice Jim Voss school speech, including pacemakers and Velcro? "Most astronauts don't bring anything back to earth except knowledge, Voss said, and a lot of technology, including Velcro, the pacemaker and a computer all came from the space program." Good question. Everyone knows about the velcro canard (enchainee?), although I have no doubt that the significant purchases of velcro by NASA helped to provide some of the initial capital for the industry to grow to the point today where it's effectively ubiquitous. (Same thing for photocopiers. Huge demand for documentation drove R&D, and NASA helped to pay for some of the early advances that have given us the machines we have today.) The pacemaker one triggered a bell in the back of my brain, so I went to my space library and came up with some heart-related references: Programmable Pacemaker Technology - NASA-developed technologies involve space microminiaturization, bidirectional telemetry for space communications, and longer life batteries for spacecraft electric power systems. Commercial Use - System consists of the implant and a physician's computer console containing the rogramming and a data printer. Communicates through wireless telemetry signals. KSC Publication DE-TPO Spinoff 1996 Implantable Heart Pump NASA's expertise in tiny yet highly reliable pumps may provide an alternative to the large, external eart pumps used by patients awaiting a heart transplant. JSC has comnbined forces with the Baylor College of Medecine and famed heart surgeon Dr. Michael Debakey to make use of the center's expertise in developing the Ventricular Assist Device. The new generation of heart pump already is undergoing implant tests in animals and, if they continue to go well, a first human implant may come soon. The pump would allow critical heart patients a much more convenient alternative to the heart pumps currently in use. FS-1995-08-004JSC Heart Monitor NASA developed advanced electrodes used for monitoring the hearts of space shuttle astronauts was exclusively licensed to Q-Med Inc. for use in their Monitor One ambulatory heart monitor. [A guy at work has one, or something similar, subsequent to a heart attack] Spinoff 1985 Cardiac Monitor NASA & UMinn research into impedance cardiography as a means of astronaut monitoring measures impedance changes across the thorax electronically, reflective of cardiac function and blood flow from the heart's left ventricle into the aorta. Spinoff 1996 Cardiac Monitoring The Bio-Z.com [.com=cardiac output monitor] noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring system uses Impedance Cardiography (see above) to calculate 12 hemodynamic parameters, replacing pulmonary artery catheterization. Developed with JSC SBIR grant. The machine looks an awful lot like the one they had at the doctor's office when I took a stress test before my Zero-G flight. Spinoff 2001 I'm sure more stuff can be found online. While NASA may not have developed the pacemaker, their research has certainly helped to advance the state of the art in medical heart technology. I don't think I'd begrudge Mr. Voss's nutshell example. |
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Jim O-
Velcro was not a space spin-off. The guy who "invented" the idea did so when he took notice of the incredible sticking power of some kind of weed seed to his socks. I think Feynman told this story in one of his books. Now, the trade name of Velcro probably did make a hit in the space program... even though it is taboo in large quantities due to its flammability. As for pacemakers... not really sure but I will do some checking. Computers were being conceived long before we went to space and they weren't thinking about them for that reason. Kevin "Jim Oberg" wrote in message ... Question -- most space-spinoffs seem to be mythical, how about these claims from a nice Jim Voss school speech, including pacemakers and Velcro? "Most astronauts don't bring anything back to earth except knowledge, Voss said, and a lot of technology, including Velcro, the pacemaker and a computer all came from the space program." http://www.oanow.com/servlet/Satelli...OAN_BasicArtic le&c=MGArticle&cid=1031778660589&path=!frontpage |
#4
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"K. Collier" :
Jim O- Velcro was not a space spin-off. The guy who "invented" the idea did so when he took notice of the incredible sticking power of some kind of weed seed to his socks. I think Feynman told this story in one of his books. Now, the trade name of Velcro probably did make a hit in the space program... even though it is taboo in large quantities due to its flammability. As for pacemakers... not really sure but I will do some checking. Computers were being conceived long before we went to space and they weren't thinking about them for that reason. Seems to me that you have not been following the thread. Earlier messages did not claim that NASA invented Velcro, but rather that NASA wanted it enough to pay the seller the amount of money that the development was basicly paid off by them. Same for computers. The first computers using transistors and chips were so expensive that development was a major gamble. NASA acted as an anchor market, paying enough money for the product that the suppliers at the time were willing to try and build the machines. Earl Colby Pottinger -- I make public email sent to me! Hydrogen Peroxide Rockets, OpenBeos, SerialTransfer 3.0, RAMDISK, BoatBuilding, DIY TabletPC. What happened to the time? http://webhome.idirect.com/~earlcp |
#5
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"Earl Colby Pottinger" wrote in message ... "K. Collier" : Jim O- Velcro was not a space spin-off. The guy who "invented" the idea did so when he took notice of the incredible sticking power of some kind of weed seed to his socks. I think Feynman told this story in one of his books. Now, the trade name of Velcro probably did make a hit in the space program... even though it is taboo in large quantities due to its flammability. As for pacemakers... not really sure but I will do some checking. Computers were being conceived long before we went to space and they weren't thinking about them for that reason. Seems to me that you have not been following the thread. Earlier messages did not claim that NASA invented Velcro, but rather that NASA wanted it enough to pay the seller the amount of money that the development was basicly paid off by them. Same for computers. The first computers using transistors and chips were so expensive that development was a major gamble. NASA acted as an anchor market, paying enough money for the product that the suppliers at the time were willing to try and build the machines. If I remember correctly: the Apollo board computer was the first completely Integrated Circuit based computer. There were other computers that used IC's at that time but most of them used magnetic core memory and transistors in additon to IC's. |
#6
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Henk Boonsma wrote:
If I remember correctly: the Apollo board computer was the first completely Integrated Circuit based computer. There were other computers that used IC's at that time but most of them used magnetic core memory and transistors in additon to IC's. Minuteman II guidance computer. Computers using transistors came in well before NASA ramped up for Apollo. Paul |
#7
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Thanks Earl -
Whether I was commenting directly or indirectly doesn't matter. I think my comments (though late) were in the park with respect to the conversation at hand. Kevin "Earl Colby Pottinger" wrote in message ... "K. Collier" : Jim O- Velcro was not a space spin-off. The guy who "invented" the idea did so when he took notice of the incredible sticking power of some kind of weed seed to his socks. I think Feynman told this story in one of his books. Now, the trade name of Velcro probably did make a hit in the space program... even though it is taboo in large quantities due to its flammability. As for pacemakers... not really sure but I will do some checking. Computers were being conceived long before we went to space and they weren't thinking about them for that reason. Seems to me that you have not been following the thread. Earlier messages did not claim that NASA invented Velcro, but rather that NASA wanted it enough to pay the seller the amount of money that the development was basicly paid off by them. Same for computers. The first computers using transistors and chips were so expensive that development was a major gamble. NASA acted as an anchor market, paying enough money for the product that the suppliers at the time were willing to try and build the machines. Earl Colby Pottinger -- I make public email sent to me! Hydrogen Peroxide Rockets, OpenBeos, SerialTransfer 3.0, RAMDISK, BoatBuilding, DIY TabletPC. What happened to the time? http://webhome.idirect.com/~earlcp |
#8
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Jim Oberg wrote:
Question -- most space-spinoffs seem to be mythical, how about these claims from a nice Jim Voss school speech, including pacemakers and Velcro? "Most astronauts don't bring anything back to earth except knowledge, Voss said, and a lot of technology, including Velcro, the pacemaker and a computer all came from the space program." Probably mythical too. The latest Ventrical Assist Devices probably count as real, bonafide spin offs though. They actually went to NASA and asked the pump experts there. |
#9
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In article ,
Paul F. Dietz wrote: If I remember correctly: the Apollo board computer was the first completely Integrated Circuit based computer... Minuteman II guidance computer. Didn't actually happen until slightly but significantly later than the Apollo prototypes. The first couple of prototypes of the Apollo guidance computer contained most of the world's ICs at the time. MIT (on behalf of NASA) was placing large production orders, and working with the suppliers to get reliability up, at a time when everybody else was still playing with samples and wondering whether they should commit to using these new-fangled gadgets. -- "Think outside the box -- the box isn't our friend." | Henry Spencer -- George Herbert | |
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