HEAD IMPACT RECORDING TECHNOLOGY FOR FIELD APPLICATIONS

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's Abstract): The objective of this proposal is to research the technical and commercial feasibility of a cost-effective device that measures head acceleration and head impact frequency for widespread use in sports. Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) in sports is a significant public health concern. The biomechanics of head impacts that result in a concussion or other MTBI are not well understood but are widely believed to correlate with head accelerations. The lack of a system that allows researchers to measure head acceleration during actual play in a large number of individuals is a major obstacle in furthering our understanding of the mechanism of MTBI and its prevention. A miniature device quantifying head acceleration during impact will be designed, constructed and tested by both laboratory and human trials. Estimates of linear and rotational accelerations on the head based on multiple accelerometers will be evaluated. The long-term goal of the project is to determine the relationship between head acceleration and MTBI in a largescale, prospective clinical study in youth sports. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: Head Impact Recording Technology (HIRT) has application in helmeted and currently unhelmeted sports including football, soccer, hockey, basketball and boxing, for medical and entertainment use. These sports have annual US participation approaching 50-70 million. The product will be a value added to existing helmet designs across manufacturers, and could be incorporated in new product designs either by Simbex or by its strategic partners. Assuming a modest 5%, one-time sale market penetration and an average unit sales price of $60, the market opportunity is on the order of $150-$210 million. Annual sales of $20-30 million within five years are envisioned.