NASA Listened To Heartbeats To Rescue 4 People Trapped In The Nepal Earthquake

A new tool developed by NASA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) helped rescue four people by listening to their heartbeats after they were covered by debris resulting from the recent Nepali earthquake. The so-called Finder device uses microwave radar technology to hear heartbeats of individuals trapped under rubble. The portable tool could be quickly deployed after a hurricane, tornado or other natural disaster to aid in finding survivors.

The Finding Individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response (Finder) device was co-developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and DHS' science and technology directorate. Two Finder prototypes were sent to Nepal after the April 25 earthquake. Rescue teams were able to detect two heartbeats beneath two different structures in the village of Chautara. The four men rescued had been trapped under rubble for several days. "Of course, no one wants disasters to occur, but tools like this are designed to help when our worst nightmares do happen. I am proud that we were able to provide the tools to help rescue these four men," Reginald Brothers, DHS under secretary for science and technology, said in a statement.

Previous Finder tests showed the device was able to locate an individual buried beneath 30 feet of rubble, including mixed concrete and rebar. The microwave radar is able to isolate the heartbeat and breathing pattern of an individual while blocking out most background noise. With a battery life as long as 13 hours, the Finder tool can detect survivors even when they are unconscious.

Long before the Nepali quake, NASA and DHS planned a demonstration of the Finder device at the Virginia Task Force One Training Facility in Lorton, Virginia, Thursday. The government agencies announced the tool will be commercially available to search-and-rescue teams.