There’s a good chance that the Russian Federal Space Agency will soon pack in an Estonian medical device Myoton when sending their astrouauts into space.

Myoton can make their life less complicated out there in deep space.

It is a novel medical diagnostic device, developed by Estonian company Müomeetria. Myoton provides numeric values of muscle tone, elasticity and stiffness. Objective information about these biomechanical properties of the muscle enables enhanced accuracy of the musculoskeletal assessment.

CEO of Müomeetria Aleko Peipsi explains that on the conditions of zero-gravity the muscles of astronauts start reverting. To forstall that they have to do exercises. At least two hours a day! But who would stand for two hours of tough excersises every single day? No fresh air, no shower. Astronauts have very tight schedule, so they have to use their time as wisely as possible.

If they use Myoton and monitor their muscles carefully, they know precisely how much exercises are needed for the muscles to stay in healthy shape. They do not have to do more than needed.

Russian Space Training Center in Moscow has tested Myoton on artificial zero-gravity conditions. They wrapped a test-guy into cotton and latex rubber and made him live in a pool for few days – underwater, but not wet. Myoton was used to monitor his muscles. Russians say that the device proved itself and they’d be glad to take it into space at some point. Before it happens Myoton needs to be upgraded and modified to work in zero-gravity conditions in a space shuttle.

The European Space Agency has also taken an interest in Myoton. But Aleko Peipsi says their processes seem to be more bureaucratic that Russian ones.

Myoton is also being tested in several Italian hospitals for rehabilitation purposes. Some world-famous athletes, such as Gerd Kanter, Virgilius Alekna and Andrus Veerpalu use the device for physical therapy. Who else? Chinese kick-boxers of course, I have written a post about it.

Check out the demo video to see how Myoton works. But don’t get too engaged with the design of the current device – that’s „20th century“, Aleko Peipsi claims. They are working on an upgraded next generation model, that will be as big as a mobile phone have no wires on it.

A neet and practical device, used all over the world. But when Myoton becomes a good business for Müomeetria? When a large medical devices developer makes it part of its portfolio, Peipsi says.

How does Myoton work? from Toivo Tänavsuu on Vimeo.

*I have updated the post. At first I wrote that the astronauts are lazy and cannot be bothered to to exercises, so they need Myoton. But of course, astronauts are not lazy. My apologies.