VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Delfi Medical Innovations Inc., a global leader in blood flow restriction (BFR) technology based in Vancouver, is proud to announce that its equipment has been used in space for the first time, aboard the recent SpaceX Fram2 mission. This historic milestone marks the inaugural use of BFR technology in a microgravity environment, expanding the frontiers of rehabilitation and strength training beyond Earth.
BFR is a technique that allows individuals to exercise with reduced loads while still achieving significant strength and hypertrophy gains. By temporarily and precisely restricting blood flow to a limb using a pneumatic cuff, BFR activates muscle growth pathways typically only triggered during intense exercise — making it especially useful in rehabilitation, athletic training, and now, space health.
Delfi’s BFR systems are recognized as the gold standard in the field. They are used by all major North American professional sports leagues — including the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL — as well as by military rehabilitation programs and leading physiotherapists and researchers worldwide. Delfi’s patented technology includes automatic, personalized pressure calibration and continuous safety monitoring, making it uniquely suited for both elite performance and clinical care.
“This is a proud moment for our team,” said Michael Jameson, President of Delfi Medical Innovations. “Bringing our BFR systems into space demonstrates the trust placed in our technology and the growing importance of musculoskeletal health in extreme environments. We're honoured to play a part in supporting human performance on and off the planet.”
The SpaceX Fram2 mission, which launched earlier this year, carried the BFR system aboard as part of a research initiative studying countermeasures to muscle atrophy in low-gravity conditions. As astronauts lose muscle mass rapidly in space, BFR offers a promising method to preserve strength with minimal equipment and strain — a vital need during long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
This achievement was made possible through the leadership and vision of Dr. Luke Hughes of Northumbria University in the United Kingdom. Dr. Hughes has been at the forefront of BFR research for over a decade and played a central role in advancing the scientific and operational readiness of this project for space deployment.
The technology used on this mission builds on the pioneering work of Dr. James McEwen, Delfi’s founder and the original inventor of modern pneumatic tourniquet systems. Dr.
McEwen’s decades of innovation in surgical and rehabilitation technologies laid the foundation for today’s gold standard in blood flow restriction systems.
This milestone underscores Delfi’s leadership in medical innovation and the expanding role of Canadian technology in supporting human performance beyond Earth.
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