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2021: A Year in Review
2021 is finally behind us and our team took some time to look back and reflect on what was accomplished by our community of researchers & developers. Last year was also a year of tremendous growth for our Hexoskin and Astroskin solutions with our professional clients. We'd like to present you with a few publications and case studies that got our attention as we look forward to a new chapter for Hexoskin in 2022.
In this study, Hexoskin smart garments were worn by 16 firefighters to track their psychophysiological responses, specifically HR and HRV, during rescue simulations performed under various conditions (day vs night, and haptic vs audio alarm) at the University of Bourgogne-Franche-Comte. Their results showed that night rescue interventions resulted in significantly higher psychophysiological responses and lower self-confidence than day rescue interventions, and the type of alarm had little effect on psychophysiological responses.
In this study, the researchers at the University of Salzburg evaluated Hexoskin’s RIP sensors with a custom algorithm versus a reference spirometry system to determine the concurrent validity in detecting flow reversals (FR) and breathing pattern (BP). Their algorithm successfully determined 99% of FR, suggesting that the proposed system is valid and practically useful for BP assessments in the field, specifically during exercise and running.
In this study, the team at the University of Alberta recruited six people with neuromuscular conditions. The participants wore the Hexoskin smart shirts and engaged in a 15-week recreational singing and dancing program to evaluate its safety and meaningfulness on quality of life. Overall, they showed improvements in respiratory function along with speech, swallowing, strength, leisure, and relationships, demonstrating that recreational singing and dancing is a safe activity to improve physical and social quality of life for people with neuromuscular disorders.
Human activity recognition (HAR) plays an important role in remote health monitoring and emergency notification. This study is a collaboration between teams from research institutions based in Montreal (Canada) and Cartage (Tunisia) which evaluates a method for classifying acceleration data using an efficient classifier combination of feature engineering-based and learning-based representation. The result yields a 90% recognition rate and performs significantly better than individual classifiers.
This team from Peter L. Reichertz at the Institute for Medical Informatics, is working on a lightweight IoT platform, where ECG metrics from Hexoskin were sent to an edge device and analyzed using deep learning models for binary end-to-end classification.
The performance on 5G showed an average transmission latency of 110ms, data corruption in 0.07% of samples, and deep learning inference of about 170ms, suggesting that 5G networks with edge devices provide a suitable infrastructure for continuous remote patient monitoring.
Looking Forward to A Bright 2022
Choosing is hard and there are many more publications and use cases that deserve attention. That’s why our Publication page provides a full list of the publications from our community.
The entire Hexoskin Team would like to congratulate our Hexoskin community that continues to push the boundaries of science and innovation despite the challenges we face due to the global pandemic.
Looking forward to the upcoming months, we are preparing a slate of events aimed to shine a light on some of the groundbreaking research and projects performed with Hexoskin & Astroskin. Make sure to subscribe to our Hexoskin Newsletter to receive our news and events!
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
New White Paper: Easing the Burdens of Stress on Healthcare Workers with the Hexoskin Stress Monitoring System
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have come to appreciate even more the hard work of our frontline healthcare workers. Their commitment towards their patients is being recognized and praised. However, the pandemic has only exacerbated aggravating factors that are affecting the wellbeing of hospital staff and healthcare professionals. These factors are related to their work environment, such as staff shortages, physical injuries, exposure to workplace hazards, and even verbal and physical abuse by patients and their families. Physicians, nurses, and surgeons are some of the healthcare professionals that hold demanding and stressful positions. Moreover, medical staff hold many responsibilities and duties which increase their level of daily stress.
The pandemic has brought more burden to the medical personnel with the already high workload, the long hours, and the demanding work conditions, contributing to an increase of occupational stress, anxiety, and depression among frontline healthcare workers.
According to recent studies, trauma-related stress among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic range from 5.2% to 45% depending on the country or region. Another recent study performed in the US during the pandemic has shown that stress is higher among nursing assistants, younger clinicians, medical assistants, social workers, inpatient workers, women, and persons of color.
Occupational stress can lead to burnout, distress, psychosomatic issues, and deterioration of quality of life. Occupational stress can also lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Before the pandemic, the rates of post-traumatic stress disorder among healthcare workers were estimated to range between 10 to 20%. During the global pandemic, it is estimated that the prevalence of PTSD in healthcare workers was at 21.5%, with levels of depression and anxiety also reported to affect about 22% of medical staff.
Request our New White Paper
In our new Hexoskin White Paper on Easing the Burdens of Stress on Healthcare Workers with the Hexoskin Stress Monitoring System, we review the impacts of stress on the healthcare system and its consequences for the healthcare personnel, which can also affect the quality of care offered to patients due to absenteeism and staff shortages. The White Paper also reviews current and novel methods for monitoring stress levels with healthcare workers. Based on these observations, we present how the Hexoskin Smart Clothing and Stress Monitoring Solutions have been implemented for stress monitoring across the healthcare system using continuous and passive measurement of cardiac, respiratory, activity, and sleep data.
Additionally, we will review how clinical researchers are utilizing Hexoskin’s biometric data to further develop stress reduction interventions and implement policy changes to mitigate organizational stress and burnout. Finally, we will discuss how Hexoskin can be used to monitor the patients' health and reduce the workload of the healthcare staff by providing the evidence needed to support clinical decisions, evaluate the best ways to deliver care to patients and support a culture of evidence-informed decision-making. Request the White Paper today!
Hexoskin Has Your Back
Since the launch of the first Hexoskin Smart Clothing in 2012, we worked with professional organizations and leading academic & research institutions on breakthrough research & projects. We developed tailor-made programs to provide all the support you need to plan your project and getting started. This is why hundreds of world-class universities, government agencies, and companies are choosing Hexoskin to conduct evidence-based research, monitoring programs, and develop new applications with our industry-leading smart clothing solutions. Contact our team today to start planning your next project and get a quote based on our programs for academic researchers & students and professionals.
Hexoskin Live Demo: Register To Our Upcoming Live Event
Join us on September 22, 2021 for our Hexoskin Live Event!
Hexoskin will provide a demonstration of the capabilities of the industry-leading Hexoskin smart clothing, an advanced wearable technology that integrates ECG, RIP, & Activity sensors in a comfortable smart garment.
We will cover the following topics:
- The Industry-Leading Hexoskin Smart Clothing
- The Hexoskin Open Platform, Apps & Dashboard
- Current & Future Applications
- Q&A
Register to reserve your place today. Registration is Free!
Hexoskin + Research Program for Students & Academic Researchers
Hexoskin & Astroskin: Designed for Data Collection & Reporting
Hexoskin & Astroskin platforms are becoming the solutions of choice for hundreds of researchers and students and set new standards for continuous health monitoring, data collection & reporting.
Hexoskin & Astroskin are washable and reusable smart garments that continuously monitor longitudinal electrocardiography and lung function with activity and sleep data. Hundreds of researchers and students are adopting our end-to-end open platforms which offer access to the raw and processed data to support health research and publish reproducible results. Our platforms provide CSV, Binary, and EDF formats which can be extracted through our open API or downloaded via the online dashboard. The platform is completed by apps & software with real-time data visualization, annotations, and reporting features.
Both platforms offer access to the raw and processed data which are quintessential to support research purposes and publish rigorous results. Our platforms provide CSV, binary, and EDF formats accessible through our open API or downloadable via the online dashboard.
Hexoskin also believes in privacy by design and does not sell or share the data hosted on its platforms. All data communications are end-to-end encrypted and can be erased at any time. Our team is also here to help and provide guidelines to support students & researchers in completing their protocol.
The Hexoskin Research Community
The research community around Hexoskin and Astroskin is passionate about working with the most cutting-edge health monitoring solutions and positively impacting people's lives. In 2021, the community reached over 110 scientific publications on various topics and subjects covered by the Hexoskin Research Community. In 2021, studies are currently pushing the boundaries of health research in rare diseases, children's health, epilepsy, sleep, stress, fatigue, and pulmonary conditions. It is indeed a good time for evidence-based science!
Kick-Start Your Project with the Hexoskin + Research Program
At Hexoskin, we support students and researchers by providing all they need to spend less time planning their project and more time doing what they really want to do: research & publish their results!
With a new academic year starting, Hexoskin + Research program is here to support you every step of the way. Reach out to our team to get a quote and support to start planning your next project!
Hexoskin + Research Program Offers:
- 10% discount on orders of 5+ Hexoskin Kits or 1+ Astroskin Kits
- Access to Apps, Dashboard, and Data Analytics tools
- Free data Hosting & API access
- Free Onboarding Webinar (value of $200)
- Free Data Management Webinar (value of $200)
- Q&A sessions (value of $200)
- Hexoskin Technical Support
- Free Shipping & More!
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!
7th Astroskin Space Payload to Launch with SpaceX Mission CRS-21
Hexoskin is set to launch its 7th Astroskin payload in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency this week aboard a SpaceX rocket.
CRS-21 is the first launch of phase 2 of SpaceX's Commercial Resupply Service (CRS) contract. The mission will use the Cargo version of the Dragon 2 spacecraft on top of a Falcon 9 rocket launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This mission is planned to use Booster B1058.4 (4th flight for booster B1058). This recent booster is the one that carried NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station on May 30th, 2020, the first US rocket carrying astronauts since Space Shuttle Atlantis in July 2011.
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.
Astronauts from 3 different 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)
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
