MTBI Protective Mandibular Appliance

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), often caused by shock waves from blasts, has been called the "signature wound" of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Commonly, the deleterious effects on the blast are compounded by the extra forces transmitted to the skull from the jaw through the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). In contact sports, it has been shown that mouth guards can be effective in reducing concussions and mild TBI. This proposal describes how tool., Inc., in collaboration with Dr. Robert Cantu of Boston University Medical Center and Emerson Hospital, a world-renowned authority on neurology and sports medicine, will develop an appliance to mitigate concussive forces associated with high-energy blasts. In Phase I, potential materials and relevant existing devices, particularly athletic mouth guards, will be researched for their application to a product that could be used by the military. Initial design concepts will be worked out based on this research. In the Phase I Option, more concrete models will be made as a precursor to an in-depth commercialization plan to be addressed in Phase II.