Inspired by astronauts, researchers use high-tech pants to uncover heart issues on MRI

Michael Walter | June 10, 2025 | Cardiovascular Business | Cardiac Imaging

Michael Nelson, associate professor, wears the lower body negative-pressure pants at UTA's Clinical Imaging Research Center / Image courtesy of UTA.

Astronauts wear lower body negative-pressure (LBNP) pants to simulate the effect of gravity during space travel. Now, a new study published in European Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Imaging suggests the same basic technology could significantly improve the performance of MRI-based exercise stress testing.[1]

Researchers with the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) first got the idea while watching an astronaut floating in space. If LBNP pants can help astronauts in space, they thought, perhaps it could help patients undergoing a stress test inside an MRI scanner.

The group put this theory to the test by developing new LBNP pants that could be worn during an MRI stress test, improving the patient’s ability to move and—hopefully—providing more effective stress test results that can be used to put together a treatment strategy. By simulating the effect of standing up, clinicians are able to evaluate the stress test results and gain a much better understanding of how the patient moves—and how their heart is functioning.

According to the first-in-human data published in European Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Imaging, this new-look technology does show substantial potential. But much more research will still be necessary before anything gains regulatory approval.

“Our initial proof-of-concept data clearly highlights the strength and promise of this approach,” lead author Brandon Hathorn, a PhD student with UTA, said in a statement.

“We’ve completely transformed the way we look at exercise cardiac MRI,” added Michael Nelson, PhD, an associate professor and director of the Clinical Imaging Research Center (CIRC) at UTA. “In my opinion, the recent developments we’ve made should become the new standard. You shouldn’t be doing exercise cardiac MRI without lower body negative-pressure pants.”

UTA’s CIRC includes a 3.0T MRI scanner with a 70-cm bore. Equipment this large is ideal for MRI-based exercise stress tests, which can be used to help evaluate a patient’s quality of life and calculate their risk of experiencing adverse outcomes in the future.

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Michael Walter, Managing Editor

Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.

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