In addition to being field tested by MomsTEAM during the 2013 football season by the Newcastle (OK) High School football team, the Brain Sentry Impact Sensor is currently endorsed or mandated by over 25 leagues, schools and other organizations representing over 100,000 athletes.
For 2014 the Brain Sentry sensors are the required for participants in several football, lacrosse and hockey programs ranging from youth to the pros including the following:
Why Brain Sentry for contact sports?
Athletes don't want to be pulled off the field. They hide symptoms of concussion [2]. They might not even know they have one, and knowing is critical because many catastrophic brain injuries are the result of second impacts [3] to already concussed athletes. Brain Sentry monitors impacts and helps identify athletes that should be assessed for concussion. Brain Sentry helps coaches identify players with techniques that include excessive head/helmet contact.
The Brain Sentry Impact CounterTM is calibrated to alert when the helmet experiences rapid acceleration or deceleration. It is not a diagnostic device. Concussions and other brain injuries can occur at levels that will not trigger an alert. Do not depend on these sensors as a sole screening method for possible injury. Ignoring this warning may lead to serious or fatal brain injury.Brain Sentry took significant efforts in designing a system that accurately measures appropriate impact forces, is affordable, is safe, and does not burden coaches and team staff that run youth sports leagues. There is nothing to maintain. Batteries don't require recharging. There is nothing to remember to turn on or off. Brain Sentry sensors just work all season. Period.
At the beginning of the season simply activate the sensor and peel and stick it to the back of each helmet. The sophisitcated battery life management system allows the sensor to never need to be turned on or off. The battery never needs to be charged or changed. The sensor is fully sealed and waterproof. At the end of the season it can be simply removed and returned to Brain Sentry for recycling.
The Brain Sentry Impact Sensor is one of the first commercially available product to integrate a new generation of nano, low power, digital output high-g microelectromechanical (MEMS) 3-axis linear accelerometers.
When an acceleration force is applied to the sensor a proof mass displaces from its nominal position, causing an imbalance in a capacitive half bridge. This imbalance is measured using charge integration in response to a voltage pulse applied to the capacitor. This innovative sensor, combined with Brain Sentry's proprietary firmware, is capable of measuring up to 690g of peak linear acceleration and it is capable of measuring accelerations with output data rates from 0.5 Hz to 1 kHz. The high-g capabilities are necessary to achieve Brain Sentry's
usability goal of mounting the sensor on the helmet shell, where peak linear acceleration approaches ten-fold what is experienced at the head CG.
A significant part of the development effort has been focused on usability, battery life, and packaging (small size). The microprocessor is a16-bit RISC CPU that has been architected with five low-power modes -- optimized to achieve extended battery life. The digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) allows wake-up from low- power modes to active mode in less than 1 μs.
Several innovative screening algorithms have been developed by Brain Sentry to determine if an acceleration event should trigger an alert.
Spatial Transfer FunctionTM (STFTM): An impact to the helmet shell results in an acceleration of the shell that is significantly shorter in duration and larger in peak linear acceleration then the force experienced at the head CG. The Brain Sentry STF is designed to account for both spatial and force scale differences from the rear of the helmet sensor mounting location and the head CG.
Directionally Adaptive SensingTM (DASTM): Energy absorption varies based on the location of impact to the helmet. A volumetrically tuned impact correction factor was established for each sport to more accurately map the transference of energy transferred to the head CG. The result of this effort has been a unique calibration for the Brain Sentry Impact Sensor for each sport (football, hockey and lacrosse). As new helmets enter the market, Brain Sentry will continually test and modify the DAS algorithms as necessary.
Impact Duration Culling: The duration of the impact plays a significant role in what is clinically relevant. A peak acceleration of 100g applied for a 1 μs pulse is not likely to cause an injury because the duration of the acceleration is so short that there is not enough time for the head to move relative to the brain. Brain Sentry's software filters impacts that are too short to be clinically significant.
"Safety of our players is a priority. Over the past two seasons the AFL has worked with a world-class brain injury task force to develop League-wide protocols for identification of players who need to be assessed for possible concussions. We had been looking at sensor technology for several years, but until we saw the Brain Sentry Impact Counter and tested it, we did not feel there was a solution that was practical and deployable for the AFL. Brain Sentry head impact sensor technology is clearly part of the solution."
Jerry Kurz, Commissioner Arena Football League (AFL)
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"There are things we are changing based on what we have learned from using the Brain Sentry sensors. We are trying to be smarter with our contact drills and our practice habits. We think it's making a difference -- we minimized concussions in the last year and we will do it again this year."
Les Miles, Head Coach, LSU Tigers
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"For me personally, I think the era of dumb helmets, in which you have no clue how many impacts that brain inside that helmet has sustained, is quickly coming to an end. I think sensors are a big part of the solution for football. The Brain Sentry solution is the best I have seen."
Julian Bailes, MD, Neurosurgeon & Medical Director, Pop Warner Football
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"Sensors can help identify potentially at-risk players, preventing the dangerous problems associated with under-reporting of concussions and second impact syndrome. What I really like is that the Brain Sentry sensor is calibrated to alert when the helmet in use experiences rapid acceleration or deceleration."
Jake Gilbert, Head Football Coach, Westfield (IN) High School
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"The number one priority for all of our events is the safety of our players, and preventing and diagnosing head injury is critical to achieving success. The Brain Sentry Impact Counter is a practical and easily deployable solution."
Rich McGuinness, President, All American Games
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"We are strongly recommending that each of our parents purchase a Brain Sentry Impact Counter Plus to help identify players taking too many head impacts, using incorrect tackle techniques or who need to be assessed for a concussion."
Colton S. Green; CPRP, CYSA, Director- Jefferson (GA) Parks & Recreation Department
Denes Agoston, MD, PhD
Julian Bailes, MD
Jay Clugston, MD, MS
Wayne Olan, MD
Tanzid Shams, MD
To learn more or to order, visit www.BrainSentry.com [4]
Email: info@brainsentry.com [5]P: 877-MY-SENSOR or (877) 697-3676
4630 Montgomery Ave, Suite 520
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
IMPORTANT NOTE: The information in this article has been furnished by Brain Sentry and MomsTEAM is not responsible for its accuracy. It is provided solely as a service to MomsTEAM viewers.
Links:
[1] https://www.momsteam.com/brain-sentry/afl-becomes-first-professional-sports-league-require-helmet-impact-sensors
[2] https://www.momsteam.com/problem-underreporting-concussions-helmet-sensors-solution-to-problem
[3] https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/concussion-safety/general/second-impact-syndrome-signs-and-symptoms
[4] http://www.BrainSentry.com
[5] mailto:info@brainsentry.com
[6] https://www.momsteam.com/concussions/impact-sensors-frequently-asked-questions
[7] https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/sports-concussion-safety/news-studies/underreporting-concussion-by-high-school-athlete
[8] https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/impact-sensors-benefits-real-time-monitoring-are-many