The Head Impact Monitoring System, by X2Impact is a product system based on embedded high performance acceleration and rotation sensors in a custom fitted and/or boil-and-bite protective mouth guard. This product is intended for use in sport-specific helmeted sports.
More than 250,000 concussions occur in high school football each year. The CDC estimates more than 3,800,000 total sports brain injuries (SBI) occur per year, and that 300,000 of these result in Loss of Consciousness each year. More than 80% of SBI go unreported, unrecognized, & unmanaged S.I.S. due to repeat exposure to SBI in young athletes - devastates young lives every year C.T.E. is widespread in retiring athletes and implicated in early dementia & death.
The goal was to design a mouth guard system to monitor and report in real time head injuries of athletes to coaches and doctors on the side line for immediate evaluation in an effort to help alleviate this problem. The mouth guard had to be super compact and incorporate sensors, accelerometers, radio antennas, LEDs, a data connection point, contact sensors, and a battery. It also had to be comfortable, durable, and waterproof.
The form was designed for strength and comfort equally. Literally hundreds of dental impressions, form studies, and prototypes were created to evaluate comfort, component placement, fit, and aesthetics. Testing started in the laboratory in custom impact test jigs before functional prototypes could be tested on the playing field. The final design solution is an intricate and proprietary multi-shot molded part encompassing a flex circuit containing all of the necessary components for real time data transmission and sideline evaluation.
The design was inspired by the faceted and angular yet sleek and futuristic design aesthetics of contemporary body armor and modern rugged equipment vehicles.
