IntraVenous Fluid GENeration for Exploration Missions (IVGEN) will demonstrate a microgravity compatible water purification to the standards required for intravenous administration, and a pharmaceutical mixing system. This hardware is a prototype that will allow flight surgeons more options to treat ill or injured crewmembers during future long-duration exploration missions.

Trade studies were used to down-select different technologies based on minimizing mass, volume, and power requirements. Experiments were conducted in normal and short duration reduced gravity facilities to verify actual performance of the selected technologies.

Pressure driven systems with a gas-liquid separator and a DI (deionization) cartridge have been shown to generate Sterile Water for Injection per the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) standards. Furthermore, by pre-positioning a sterile magnetic stir bar and salt within an IV (intravenous) bag, the desired medical solution can be quickly and effectively generated.

Given the limitations with both the normal gravity and ground-based reduced gravity testing, these results need to be verified on orbit using a prototype. Further, an appropriate system level test should be conducted prior to deployment. Accordingly, the objectives of this experiment include the following:

• Produce an acceptable IV solution that meets USP requirements

• Verify on orbit, using available microgravity-compatible technology and techniques, the acceptability of that solution, and

• Obtain sufficient engineering data to permit scaling of the system per actual mission needs

• Demonstrate end-to-end system level performance

See also https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=689

IntraVenous Fluid GENeration for Exploration Missions (IVGEN) will demonstrate a microgravity compatible water purification to the standards required for intravenous administration, and a pharmaceutical mixing system. This hardware is a prototype that will allow flight surgeons more options to treat ill or injured crewmembers during future long-duration exploration missions.

Trade studies were used to down-select different technologies based on minimizing mass, volume, and power requirements. Experiments were conducted in normal and short duration reduced gravity facilities to verify actual performance of the selected technologies.

Pressure driven systems with a gas-liquid separator and a DI cartridge have been shown to generate Sterile Water for Injection per the USP standards. Furthermore, by pre-positioning a sterile magnetic stir bar and salt within an IV bag, the desired medical solution can be quickly and effectively generated.

Given the limitations with both the normal gravity and ground-based reduced gravity testing, these results need to be verified on orbit using a prototope. Further, an appropriate system level test should be conducted prior to deployment. Accordingly, the objectives of this experiment include the following: • Produce an acceptable IV solution that meets USP requirements • Verify on orbit, using available microgravity-compatible technology and techniques, the acceptability of that solution, and • Obtain sufficient engineering data to permit scaling of the system per actual mission needs. • Demonstrate end-to-end system level performance

See also http://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/Advanced/HumanResearch/Medical/IVFluids/

Studies were initiated to examine the effect of water temperature on both the hydrodynamic and purification ability of the DI cartridge.

A consultant, who specializes in USP certified water purification techniques review the IV-Gen process and found that for potable water from the ISS Water Processing Assembly (WPA), the IV-Gen process was acceptable; however, he also recommended that an activated carbon filter be incorporated into the design of any future exploration system that did not include such a feature.

Finally, the project underwent a system acceptance review and hardware was delivered to NASA KSC. The experiment was launched aboard STS-131 and operations were conducted in May 2010 during Increment 23/24.

IntraVenous Fluid GENeration for Exploration Missions (IVGEN) will demonstrate a microgravity compatible water purification to the standards required for intravenous administration, and a pharmaceutical mixing system. This hardware is a prototype that will allow flight surgeons more options to treat ill or injured crewmembers during future long-duration exploration missions.

Trade studies were used to down-select different technologies based on minimizing mass, volume, and power requirements. Experiments were conducted in normal and short duration reduced gravity facilities to verify actual performance of the selected technologies.

Pressure driven systems with a gas-liquid separator and a DI cartridge have been shown to generate Sterile Water for Injection per the USP standards. Furthermore, by pre-positioning a sterile magnetic stir bar and salt within an IV bag, the desired medical solution can be quickly and effectively generated.

Given the limitations with both the normal gravity and ground-based reduced gravity testing, these results need to be verified on orbit using a prototope. Further, an appropriate system level test should be conducted prior to deployment. Accordingly, the objectives of this experiment include the following: • Produce an acceptable IV solution that meets USP requirements • Verify on orbit, using available microgravity-compatible technology and techniques, the acceptability of that solution, and • Obtain sufficient engineering data to permit scaling of the system per actual mission needs. • Demonstrate end-to-end system level performance

Trade studies incorporated both analysis and reduced gravity and normal gravity experimentation as appropriate. Studies that were conducted included an examination of different fluid mixing techniques that would be applicable in reduced gravity. These techniques include bag to bag transfer of fluids, kneading of IV bag, magnetic stir bar and impellor technology. Eventually, the magnetic stir bar technique was selected and verified in reduced gravity. An additional trade study was conducted that examined water purification techniques such as distillation, reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, deionizing packed beds, and microwave technology. Based on filtration performance, system size and weight, and power consumption, a technique using deionizing packed beds coupled with sterilizing filters was selected.

Besides trades studies and experimental work, activities during the past year include generating an Exploration Investigation Requirements Document (EIRD) and conducting both a preliminary design review (PDR), critical design review (CDR)

See also http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/experiments/IVGEN.html

[Ed. note: Task added to Task Book in February 2009 when received information from JSC.]