Defying Gravity: TAMU-CC Students Innovate Compression Garments for Space and Earth
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Inspiration can strike when you least expect it. For Aleena Roy ’26, a biomedical science major at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, it came at a moment many of her peers know all too well.
“I was on Instagram doing my usual scroll, and I saw that NASA posted about a competition highlighting cardiovascular issues,” Roy said. “So, I thought about what I could do to help astronauts, but with real-world applications.”
What followed was a burst of brainstorming that led to a breakthrough idea. Roy came up with a concept of integrating vibration and thermal heat into a compression device that would help astronauts counteract the physical effects of space travel. That same technology could benefit people with vascular conditions here on Earth. Vascular problems, issues with blood flow in the circulatory system, can range from mild to life-threatening.
“While I was shadowing an interventional radiologist, I realized lots of patients had blood built up in their vessels,” Roy said. “It was mainly in the elderly, and the problem caused pain, numbness, and a heavy feeling in their legs and feet.”
For astronauts, the problem happens in the opposite direction. Because of gravity, blood flows up, leading sometimes to stifling pain in the head area, weakening of the heart, and spaceflight-associated Neuro-Ocular-Syndrome (SANS) or short-term blindness. To mediate that pain, astronauts have to wear a bulky compression suit and stay in one place for several hours until their cardiovascular system improves. Roy is determined to change all of that.
“With my device, I am really hoping astronauts can maintain normal function in space,” Roy said. “Studies show vibration can help with pain mitigation. Vibration also helps simulate gravity, in a sense, and you can use that to help blood flow correctly. Heat also helps blood vessels regenerate and expand, allowing blood to flow back the correct way.”
To help make her dreams a reality, fellow student and mechanical engineering major Teran Hendricks ’25 signed onto the project. For Hendricks, this project brought two of his worlds together — his love for mechanical engineering and his career as an EMT. His first order of business was to help Roy create a device that could simulate the movement of blood and show the impact pressure has on that movement. In collaboration, they designed a tube-like device that holds a blood-like substance. Thin plastic tubes connect to the device, mimicking the function of veins.
“I used 3D printing to make most of the pieces,” Hendricks said. “We came up with the idea of using a pool noodle as our layer of skin. We run the tubes through the noodles. Then, we used a circuit board to give us the energy to move the blood around and reenact how the circulatory system works.”
Dr. Jose Baca, Associate Professor of Engineering, helped bridge this interdisciplinary project and is overseeing the students as they reach a pivotal stage. Thanks to funding from the university’s Office of Student Research and Innovation, Roy and Hendricks have been able to buy supplies to build their garment, including nylon to create the fabric conductive thread, a small speaker to provide sound vibrations, a heat sensor, and silicone.
“We’re starting with an arm sleeve made of silicone because it’s the easiest to replicate for this project,” Hendricks said. “It’s our proof of concept. Eventually, we want to develop full-body compression garments, especially for the legs.”
Roy said this project has opened her eyes to the different career paths in health care and has brought to life one of her favorite phrases, “Love to the point of invention.”
“I want to love my patients so deeply that I can create something to help them live a fuller, more functional life,” Roy said. “Knowing that something I designed could make a difference for so many people — that’s incredible. It’s bigger than me. It’s beautiful.”
Roy and Hendricks hope to complete the arm garment in time for this fall’s Texas Space Grant Consortium Design Challenge, where a first-place win would earn them the chance to work with a NASA mentor and present their project to a full team of NASA personnel.