Impact Sensors the Future to Building a Better Sports Helmet

Can a thin, breathable mesh skullcap that houses a high performance indicator that captures data on impact to the head during sports help protect against brain injury? Sports equipment manufacturer Reebok and CCM Hockey, as well as electronics company MC10 Inc., collaborators on the new product, are betting on it.

Designed to fit under any helmet and for athletes of all ages and skill levels, the wearable technology based on conformable biometric sensors, identifies impacts to the head during play to help determine if medical treatment or rest is needed before resuming play, according to MC10.

The impact indicator, MC10's first commercially available product, is scheduled for availability in 2013. The impact indicator can be used by any athlete in both impact and non-impact sports.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the recognition and proper response to concussions when they first occur can help prevent further injury or even death.  A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and can occur in any sport or recreation activity.

U.S. emergency departments treat an estimated 173,000 sports and recreation related TBIs, including concussions, among children and adolescents from birth to 19 years.

While high impact or collision sports such as hockey and football may come to mind when considering head injury, don't discount the potential for concussion in other sports such as soccer, boxing, basketball, baseball, cycling, skiing, snowboarding, diving or cheerleading.

Founded in 2008, MC10 is developing the next generation of electronic systems through its conformal electronics platform that allows high performance electronics to occupy spaces and geometries not possible in their traditional, rigid form.
MC10 is investigating applications for its technology in medical electronics, consumer, industrial and military.