Connected Care Medical Module (C²M²)
Following a competitive process, five Canadian companies were selected to build prototypes of the Connected Care Medical Module (C²M²): Baüne, Canadian Space Mining Corporation, CGI, Lunar Medical, and Phyxable. Each company was awarded approximately $2 million and will produce their own first version of a C²M².
Canada's ranging climate and expansive geography have shaped our national culture and individual character. The resultant sparse distribution of our population over rugged terrain from coast to coast to coast drives Canada's unique approach to remote healthcare delivery.
The Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) Health Beyond Initiative aims to collaboratively identify and develop innovative and sustainable medical solutions as part of evolving the healthcare delivery model currently used in low-Earth orbit for deep space, in line with the recommendations of the Advisory Council on Deep Space Healthcare. This new "deep space healthcare model
" would address the additional and heightened healthcare challenges to be faced by astronauts traveling to farther destinations.
An artist's impression of a future lunar settlement.
Connected Care Medical Modules
Health Beyond's vision is to enable agile, rapid prototyping and iterative operation of C²M²s on Earth, with the ultimate objective of operation in space. A C²M² is a scalable integrated system of state-of-the-art medical technologies and methodologies contained in a deployable unit. A shipping container will first be used for research and development purposes and for easy deployment across Canada via the existing intermodal freight transportation network. When preparing for space application and deployment in remote communities with collaborators, the Module, can be scaled down and adapted as needed.
One of the novel features of the C²M² is its core computer-based system that facilitates the incorporation, interconnection (i.e., flow of information), and usage of the latest medical technologies. This plug and play architecture will enable multiple configurations based on the end-users' needs. These technologies increase the user's capacity to independently detect, diagnose, treat, and/or monitor health conditions on site. This improves the timeliness, quality, and continuity of care; refines clinical decision-making; and reduces the occurrence of risky and expensive medical transportation of patients from remote regions to urban hospital facilities.
Flexible framework towards creating the future together
We aim to provide a "Flexible Framework
" for the development of C²M²s to leverage and rally the expertise, experience and vision of health stakeholders. This Framework entails the provision of guiding elements, clear deliverables, and an overarching strategic vision while respecting and encouraging developers' creativity and independence of innovation. C²M²s represents an opportunity, among our various collaborative research and development activities, for innovators, industry, practitioners and researchers to collaborate to propose an integrated and agile concept. Continuous guidance, direction, and feedback from collaborators, developers, and users will inform future C²M² prototyping and allow national actors and industry to collaboratively redefine the future of healthcare in the most innovative way.