Equipment developed by researchers at
Northumbria University, in collaboration with key industry partners, to improve
the health and fitness of astronauts has received further research funding
after being used in space for the first time.
The UK Space Agency has awarded £287,000 to
the University to undertake further research into the use of Blood Flow
Restriction (BFR) exercise and associated hardware technology, the Personalised Tourniquet System for Spaceflight
(PTSS), in a microgravity environment, expanding the frontiers of
rehabilitation and strength training beyond Earth.
BFR is a technique that allows individuals to
exercise using lower intensities while still achieving significant strength and
muscle gains, thus providing a means of improving training efficiency when
there are physical and environmental constraints upon the use of exercise.
By temporarily and precisely restricting
blood flow to a limb using a pneumatic tourniquet cuff, BFR activates muscle growth
and strength improvements in ways typically only triggered during higher
intensity exercise. As such, it is known to be especially useful in physical
rehabilitation and athletic training, and researchers have been examining how
the technique can be used in space health. As astronauts lose strength and muscle
mass rapidly while on space missions because of the absence of gravity, BFR
offers a promising method to preserve musculoskeletal health with minimal
equipment and time commitment.
Dr Luke Hughes from Northumbria's Aerospace Medicine and Rehabilitation Laboratory has been at the forefront of BFR
research for almost a decade and played a central role in advancing the
scientific and operational readiness of this project for space deployment. He
has, with key collaborators, developed an innovative device that meets the
constraints of space travel and enables BFR exercises to be performed during
spaceflight.
The SpaceX Fram2 mission, which launched
earlier this year, carried Northumbria’s PTSS BFR exercise device as part of a
research initiative studying countermeasures to protect crew health and
performance in space.
The device had been adapted and made space
ready by Dr Hughes and his team at Northumbria, using equipment from
world-leaders in automatic tourniquet technology, Vancouver-based Delfi Medical
Innovations. Delfi’s PTS is the gold-standard equipment used to perform BFR
exercise here on Earth using automatic, personalised prescription and accurate,
surgical-grade autoregulation of BFR pressure to ensure the safety and
effectiveness of the BFR stimulus. Delfi's PTS for BFR involves applying a
surgical-grade tourniquet cuff to an individual's limb and inflating it to
compress the limb and underlying vasculature, to safely reduce blood flow and
oxygen supply to muscle and bone tissues during exercise.
Following on from the success of the mission,
Dr Hughes' research project has now received £287,000 worth of funding from the
UK Space Agency (UKSA) as part of a batch of 23 projects the UKSA has funded to
strengthen international space partnerships, develop national capabilities and
boost economic growth.
This project, working with Western Clinical
Engineering Group, Delfi Medical Innovations, the Canadian Space Agency,
European Space Agency and NASA, aims to improve astronaut health on missions
beyond low Earth orbit by further developing and optimising BFR exercise with
the associated PTSS. Western Clinical Engineering Group are supporting this
programme of research by developing an adapted version of the PTSS to resolve
technological uncertainties related to future space applications. Building on
the recent study evaluating BFR exercise in orbit, this new project will
resolve technological uncertainties to integrate biofeedback technology into the
space-qualified hardware for real-time monitoring and optimisation of the BFR
exercise stimulus in space.
Dr Hughes said: “BFR exercise is at the
forefront of innovative technologies to optimise exercise countermeasures to
protect crew health and performance during spaceflight missions where
constraints upon the use of exercise are anticipated. It’s fantastic to see the
success of our previous projects recognised with this award of further funding
to progress our programme of research.”
Dr James McEwen OC OBC, President of Western
Clinical Engineering Group, said: “We are delighted to be working with Dr
Hughes and his team to resolve technological uncertainties in order to develop
an innovative PTSS system optimised for his planned research.”
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space
Agency, said: “These new projects span the full spectrum of UK space expertise,
from telecommunications, propulsion and environmental monitoring to
cutting-edge technologies that could change how we develop treatments for
deadly diseases using microgravity. By combining home-grown talent with global
expertise, we want to strengthen our capabilities, support growth, and ensure
the UK remains at the forefront of space innovation.”
Northumbria University is powering the next
generation of space innovation, working across a multitude of specialist areas,
from space physiology and solar and space physics to satellite communications
and space law and policy.
Northumbria collaborates extensively with
partners including UK Research and Innovation, the UK Space Agency, the UK Met
Office, and over 40 other industrial partners.
In 2023, the University announced the
development of the new North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST),
which is expected to open in 2026.
Described as a “game-changer” for the UK
space economy, NESST is the result of a £50 million investment with partners
including the UK Space Agency and Lockheed Martin UK Space. The Centre will
bring together industry and academia to collaborate on internationally
significant space research and technological developments, creating over 350
jobs and injecting over £260 million into the North East economy over the next
30 years.
