Myoton signs agreement with European Space Agency
04.04.2011
Myoton and European Space Agency signed an agreement to undertake the project entitled "Application of the MyotonPRO Device for Medical Measurements of Superficial Skeletal Muscle Tone and Biomechanical Properties in Microgravity".
The functional relationship between muscle and skeletal systems is a known fact in the modern medicine. Skeletal bones and muscles are under constant mechanical tension and it can be assumed that changes in the tone of the skeletal muscles affect the condition of the mechanical stress of the skeletal bones, which in turn influence the metabolic processes in skeletal muscles. Although there is currently no data regarding the changes in astronauts’ muscle tone during space flights, it is evident that symptoms of osteoporosis appear after the astronaut has spent significant time in space. It appears that muscle tone declines considerably after long stays in space which may in turn cause a significant slowdown of metabolic processes.
The objective of this joint project is to introduce and integrate the MyotonPRO into the pre-, on- and post-flight monitoring of astronauts’s muscle properties and condition in the space sector. This would enable astronauts to assess their muscle development, atrophy progression and on-flight training effectiveness.
The European Space Agency has allocated €250,000 to fund this two-year project.
