Toshiba Medical Systems is partnering with the University of Edinburgh on a high-altitude sickness research project, the company said.
Thirty students and alumni from the University of Edinburgh will travel to Bolivia to study the effects of altitude and low-oxygen environments on the human body in the Bolivian Andes. The trip will be conducted under the auspices of the APEX (Altitude Physiology Expeditions) program. Students will focus on causes of high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE).
Using Toshiba's Viamo ultrasound scanner, the team will perform cardiac ultrasound studies and examine the effect of low oxygen levels and pressure on the heart, as well as the effects of exercise at high altitude on heart function. The group will also research acute mountain sickness, which is considered a risk factor for HAPE AND HACE.
The trip is the fourth to Bolivia since the APEX program was established in 2000.
