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.