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Hexoskin Receives 2022 International Space Station Research Innovation Award for Human Health in Space from American Astronautical Society
Washington, D.C. - July 28th, 2022
The American Astronautical Society has awarded today the 2022 International Space Station Research Innovation Award for Human Health in Space to Hexoskin (Carré Technologies Inc.) for demonstrating a comprehensive physiology monitoring system for use in research and in situ crew care.
The Astroskin Bio-Monitor System was launched with SpaceX mission CRS-16 in December 2018 and was commissioned by Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques in January 2019. It is currently used in two clinical trials in microgravity to improve our understanding of cardiovascular health in space and physiological models of aging. These studies will help support human health during long-term space missions beyond Earth's orbit: to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
"This award celebrates 10 years of collaboration between Hexoskin and space agencies, and a technology that has a real impact on medical research in space and in our communities" said Pierre-Alexandre Fournier, CEO and co-founder of Hexoskin.
The Hexoskin space medicine team supports the operations of the Astroskin Bio-Monitor in space with the collaboration of the Canadian Space Agency, NASA, and other space agencies and subcontractors.
About Astroskin
Astroskin is the most advanced ambulatory vital signs monitoring platform for medical research in the world. Developed to qualify for space research, it can now benefit the most innovative research in Space and on Earth.
Astroskin offers state-of-the-art continuous real-time monitoring for 48 hours of blood pressure, pulse oximetry, 3-lead ECG, respiration, skin temperature, and activity.
The Astroskin garments are now available in a wide range of sizes for men & women. A large number of research organizations already use the Astroskin vital signs monitoring platform to collect data to answer their research questions.
About the ISS R&D Conference
The International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) brings together leaders from the commercial sector, U.S. government agencies, and academic communities to foster innovation and discovery onboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The conference is hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc., manager of the ISS National Laboratory; NASA; and the American Astronautical Society (AAS). ISSRDC showcases how the space station continues to provide a valuable platform for research and technology development that benefits humanity and enables a robust and sustainable market in low Earth orbit. Additionally, the ISSRDC marketplace expo allows companies to showcase how they are advancing opportunities in low Earth orbit and provides a venue to meet with researchers, stakeholders, and policymakers.
About the American Astronautical Society
The American Astronautical Society (AAS), established in 1899, is a major international organization of professional astronomers, astronomy educators, and amateur astronomers. Its membership of approximately 8,000 also includes physicists, geologists, engineers, and others whose interests lie within the broad spectrum of subjects now comprising the astronautical sciences.
The mission of the AAS is to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe as a diverse and inclusive astronautical community, which it achieves through publishing, meetings, science advocacy, education and outreach, and training and professional development.
Astroskin set to be used in Space by Private Astronaut Mark Pathy
Astroskin will soon be getting another ride to Space, thanks to Canadian Private Astronaut Mark Pathy and the first-ever private mission to the ISS, Ax-1, organized by Axiom Space. The Ax-1 space mission is set to send a crew of four private astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon. Set to launch in April 2022, Ax-1 is a 10-day mission where at least eight days will be spent inside the ISS to conduct several research experiments including research on the effects of microgravity, chronic pain, and sleep disturbances. Mark will be joined on Ax1 by fellow crew members Eytan Stibbe from Israel, Larry Connor, and Michael Lopez-Alegria from the United States.
M. Pathy, aged 52, is the CEO and founder of the investment firm MAVRIK CORP. He is recognized in Montreal, the city where he resides, to support several causes as a philanthropist. Married and father of three children, Mark Pathy decided to leverage his participation in this mission to collaborate with the Canadian Space Agencies to conduct experiments in microgravity that are a priority for children’s and universities. 
As a Mission Specialist, he will be taking part in a total of 12 science research projects in partnership with six Canadian universities and their investigators, including clinician-researchers at The Montreal Children’s Hospital and Child Health Research at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and become the first private Astronaut to wear Astroskin on board the International Space Station. Pathy will be funding himself the research conducted in Space and contribute to generating results and potential applications on earth that would have taken more time to be realized under the current Canadian space program.
Going to space involves months of planning. Canadian Private Astronaut Mark Pathy has been busy training at NASA Johnson Space Center ahead of the launch.
Pathy and his crew already took part in training exercises and will now embark on seventeen weeks of training to get ready for the mission. We look forward to following him and the Ax-1 mission in the coming weeks and months.
Japanese Astronaut Aki Hoshide (JAXA) Wears the Astroskin Bio-Monitor in the International Space Station
Japanese Astronaut Aki Hoshide was the 5th astronaut to wear the Astroskin Bio-Monitor system aboard the International Space Station last week. Astronauts use the Astroskin in space since 2019 to participate in various research studies, including "Vascular Aging", a project lead by University of Waterloo researchers.
Many more astronauts are scheduled to use Astroskin in space. The system is available to all participating space agencies and research universities. The most recent Astroskin payload was launched with SpaceX's mission CRS-23 on August 29th, 2021.
Microgravity affects fluid movements in the body and heat transmission (in the absence of convection movement in microgravity). This triggers physiological phenomena impossible to monitor on the ground and tests our models of human physiology. The Astroskin Bio-Monitor system gives scientists a tool to observe these phenomena in space. It also prepares us to maintain crew health during long space missions beyond low earth orbit (LEO), to the Moon and Mars.
A Brief History of the Astroskin
Here's a list of space launches that carried Astroskin payloads:
- SpaceX CRS-16 (December 5th, 2018)
- Cygnus NG-11 (April 17th, 2019)
- SpaceX CRS-18 (July 25th, 2019)
- SpaceX CRS-19 (December 5th, 2019
- SpaceX CRS-20 (March 7th, 2020)
- Cygnus NG-14 (October 3rd, 2020)
- SpaceX CRS-21 (December 6th, 2020)
- SpaceX CRS-22 (June 3rd, 2021)
- SpaceX CRS-23 (August 29th, 2021)
The Astroskin Vital Signs Monitoring Platform is also used on Earth on industrial projects and scientific research.
Information about Astroskin missions aboard the ISS:
https://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/Hardware/hardconfig/3065
https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/i/iss-bio-monitor-analyzer
Astroskin First Flight with Virgin Galactic and Kellie Gerardi
Washington, DC, USA (June 3rd, 2021): Virgin Galactic has announced a new contract to fly International Institute of Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) researcher Kellie Gerardi on a test flight of the company’s spaceflight system, during which Kellie will conduct experiments and test new healthcare technologies (including the Astroskin Bio-Monitor) while she's in space.
(Credits: Greentag89, Wikipedia)
The purpose of the research mission is to demonstrate and advance novel scientific research benefits and applications that the spaceflight system provides for human-tended payloads.
The mission will also demonstrate the potential of conducting human research in suborbital flight, building on the research and knowledge gained from a number of Kellie’s reduced gravity flight campaigns performed here on Earth, including with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Virgin Galactic will be able to provide new benefits to the space science research community in the form of repeatability, affordability and quality of the weightless environment which have historically been barriers for many wanting to conduct human spaceflight research.
During the spaceflight, following the shutdown of the rocket motor, Kellie will unbuckle from her seat and undertake the actions necessary to complete each experiment during several minutes of weightlessness. Virgin Galactic will provide training and preparation so that she is fully equipped to carry out her job as mission specialist on this flight and provide on-site pre-flight support for each of the payload experiments.
Working with IIAS, NRC and CSA, Kellie has already operated each payload in reduced gravity flights and will be bringing that unique payload specialist experience to the research mission. The payloads will include bio-monitoring instrumentation, including the Astroskin Bio-Monitor wearable sensors system, developed by Hexoskin with the support of the Canadian Space Agency, that will measure the biological effects of launch, weightlessness, re-entry, and landing on spaceflight participants.
The Astroskin Bio-Monitor has been in operation in the International Space Station since 2019 and is used by space agencies (CSA, NASA, ESA), to monitor astronauts' vital signs in orbit. The Astroskin is also used on Earth by researchers of 5 continents for clinical research applications.
“This historic flight will demonstrate the role private space companies can play to advance our knowledge of human physiology in space, to prepare for future missions to the Moon and beyond” said Pierre-Alexandre Fournier, CEO and co-founder of Hexoskin. “Many private space companies are planning to use the Astroskin system for astronaut training and during spaceflight, because it’s already in operation in the International Space Station.”
For more information about Hexoskin's involvement in this test flight or the Astroskin wearable vital signs sensor system, please contact us by email (contact@hexoskin.com) or by phone at 1-888-887-2044.
New Payload to Launch with SpaceX Mission CRS-22
If the weather permits, Hexoskin is set to launch its 8th Astroskin payload in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency on June 3rd aboard another SpaceX rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
SpaceX Mission CRS-22 is the second launch of phase 2 of SpaceX's Commercial Resupply Service (CRS) contract. This is the 6th time SpaceX transports Astroskin equipment to the International Space Station, the 2 other payloads have been launched by Northrop Grumman's Cygnus rockets.
Microgravity affects fluid movements in the body and heat transmission (in the absence of convection movement in microgravity). This triggers physiological phenomena impossible to monitor on the ground and tests our models of human physiology. The Astroskin Bio-Monitor system gives scientists a tool to observe these phenomena in space. It also prepares us to maintain crew health during long space missions beyond low earth orbit (LEO), to the Moon and Mars.
A Brief History of the Astroskin
Astronauts from space agencies (NASA, CSA, ESA) have used the Astroskin system aboard the International Space Station since January 2019.
Here's a list of space launches that carried Astroskin payloads:
- SpaceX CRS-16 (December 5th, 2018)
- Cygnus NG-11 (April 17th, 2019)
- SpaceX CRS-18 (July 25th, 2019)
- SpaceX CRS-19 (December 5th, 2019
- SpaceX CRS-20 (March 7th, 2020)
- Cygnus NG-14 (October 3rd, 2020)
- SpaceX CRS-21 (December 6th, 2020)
- SpaceX CRS-22 (June 3rd, 2021)
The Astroskin Vital Signs Monitoring Platform is also used on Earth on industrial projects and scientific research.
Information about Astroskin missions aboard the ISS:
https://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/Hardware/hardconfig/3065https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/i/iss-bio-monitor-analyzer
Hexoskin Talks Space Medicine at the Healthcare without Boundaries Colloquium
Biomedical researcher Héloïse Auger will talk about Hexoskin's work in space medicine, Astroskin wearable sensors, and artificial intelligence for automated diagnostics at the Healthcare without Boundaries Colloquium this week on June 1-2. Registration is available on Eventbrite: Healthcare without Boundaries Colloquium
Hexoskin has been collaborating with the Canadian Space Agency since 2011 on the development of medical technologies that can be used for human spaceflight. Devices that can record health data passively, like the Astroskin, create an opportunity to develop autonomous medical systems using clinical rules and artificial intelligence to support long-term space missions beyond low Earth orbit.
Astroskin Live Demo
Join us on March 24, 2021 for the Astroskin Live Demo
Hexoskin will provide a demonstration of the capabilities of the Astroskin, an advanced wearable technology designed to continuously monitor the five vital signs.
We will cover the following topics:
- Astroskin Vital Signs Monitoring Platform
- Demo of the Astroskin Apps & Dashboard
- Current & Future Applications
- Q&A
Register your place today!
Advancing space medicine knowledge aboard the ISS. Another space mission for Astroskin / Bio-Monitor!
Earlier this month, European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano conducted validation tests on-orbit and wore the Astroskin garment and headband connected to the data unit for his first 72-hour monitoring experience.
Luca Parmitano also conducted maintenance operations for the Astroskin / Bio-Monitor that was deployed on the ISS orbiting lab, last December by Canadian Astronaut David Saint-Jacques.
Although the ISS is equipped with health and life sciences research tools, the existing instrumentation for continuous and simultaneous recording of several physiological parameters was lacking. To address this issue, the Canadian Space Agency's Bio-Monitor Commissioning activity uses the Astroskin / Bio-Monitor system; a complete vital signs monitoring platform coupled with a wearable garment capable of monitoring relevant physiological parameters in a non-invasive and non-interfering way during a normal day in space.
The physiological parameters which can be monitored consist of blood pressure, peripheral blood oxygen saturation, 3-lead ECG, respiration, skin temperature, and activity, will help push further our understanding of Vascular aging and Human Physiology in space.
Venturing into the environment of space, microgravity can have negative effects on the human body. When astronauts return to Earth, their carotid arteries, which carry blood to the head and neck, appear to have aged 20 to 30 years. Artery walls become stiffer and thicker in space, the same as when people grow older on Earth.
“You can take extremely healthy, fit astronauts and put them in an environment that restricts their ability to do daily exercise, and they run the risk of developing insulin resistance that on Earth could lead to Type II diabetes,” said principal investigator Richard L. Hughson of Schlegel-University of Waterloo in Ontario
Now operational the Astroskin Bio-Monitor system is available for the next five years to conduct Health research in Space for all participating countries to the International Space Station.
Sometimes you wear the experiment: the Bio-Monitor smart shirt system measures vital signs like temperature, heart rate, respiration and movement, and transmits the data to a tablet application. #MissionBeyond @csa_asc pic.twitter.com/2h6lmRUyHH
— Luca Parmitano (@astro_luca) 19 août 2019
Source:
NASA. 2019. ISS Daily Summary Report - 8/14/2019
NASA. 2019. ISS Daily Summary Report - 8/13/2019
About Hexoskin
Since 2006, Hexoskin’s mission is to develop sensors and health data infrastructure to generate clinical grade real-world evidence. The Astroskin demonstrates once again Hexoskin’s leadership in providing the industry leading sensors, software, and AI to push further our understanding of human physiology on earth and in space.
CSA astronaut David Saint-Jacques explains how the Astroskin / Bio-Monitor Smart Shirt keeps an eye on astronauts’ vital signs.
This week, Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques is finalizing the setup of the Bio-Monitor, on the International Space Station!
This advanced smart shirt & health platform is designed to measure and record vital signs in microgravity environment. It will help keep an eye on astronauts' health and enable medical research in space by continuously measuring physiological data.
The Canadian Space Agency's Bio-Monitor is designed to easily send information to the ground, where scientists can monitor astronauts' physiology around the clock as they orbit the planet. Once operational it will be available for the next five years to all participating countries to the International Space Station.
To learn more visit the Astroskin page.
Source: Video - CSA/NASA
About Astroskin:
In September 2018, Hexoskin launched the Astroskin Research Platform to support various projects and health research on earth. The Astroskin is based on the Bio-Monitor and is further adapted to be used on earth. Astroskin offers an end-to-end platform to collect real-world evidence with space-grade garments that include sensors embedded in the fabric such as a 3-lead electrocardiogram, breathing sensors, pulse oximeter, blood pressure, skin temperature, and activity sensors.
Government of Canada confirmed Canada's commitment to Nasa Lunar Gateway program
The government of Canada confirmed today, Thursday, February 28, 2019, Canada's commitment to the Lunar Gateway space mission led by the United States, to give Canada's space program a new momentum. The Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau announced historic investments in Canada’s space program. The Government of Canada will invest $2.05 billion over 24 years for Canada's space program. It will help grow innovative Canadian companies of all sizes by supporting the development of new digital and artificial intelligence-based technologies, and by opening new markets for Canadian businesses (Prime Minister's Office).
This investment will also give Canadian astronauts the opportunity to participate in missions to space and our scientists a chance to conduct cutting-edge research that cannot be done on Earth.
At Hexoskin, since we started working with Canadian Space Agency in 2011, we designed medical monitoring systems with the goal of fulfilling the autonomy requirements of future missions to the Moon and Mars. The spillover effects of space exploration projects are applicable beyond human spaceflight and find applications on earth that benefit humanity.
The technologies we're developing will allow a greater number of people to access regular care, especially patients with chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The software being developed for medical autonomous systems has the potential to deliver automated health services, affordable and accessible 24/7.
After today's announcement, we hope that Hexoskin will be able to contribute to future missions to the Moon, by supplying innovative medical technologies for crew members taking the trip.
