Sports Impact Technologies: Tiny Sensor for Real-Time Head Impact Monitoring

The Problem of Head Impacts in Sports

• 🤕 Head impacts are a significant issue in all impact sports, leading to both immediate concussions and long-term effects like CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).
• 🎯 Current methods struggle to objectively measure head impacts in real-time, making it difficult to identify players who have sustained a significant blow and continue playing.
• 📈 The cumulative effect of repeated head impacts over a player's career is a major concern that requires better data capture.

Sports Impact Technologies' Wearable Sensor

• 👂 The company has developed a tiny, behind-the-ear wearable sensor designed to detect head impacts as they happen.
• 📌 Worn on the mastoid process behind the ear, the sensor is small, lightweight, and adheres with a simple adhesive, making it unobtrusive during play.
• 📡 The device actively monitors and records every head impact, transmitting data in real-time.

Technology Behind the Sensor

• 🧠 The sensor contains core components including a battery, microcontroller, and antenna, with the key elements being an accelerometer and a gyroscope.
• ⚡ These components capture both linear acceleration (G-force) and rotational acceleration (radians per second squared), which are crucial for understanding the full impact on the brain.
• ⚠️ Capturing both linear and rotational components is vital because head injuries are not solely due to direct impact but also involve the brain's movement within the skull, often exacerbated by neck movement.

Helmets and Concussion Safety

• 🪖 Counterintuitively, helmets primarily protect the skull from fractures but do little to prevent concussions, which result from the brain's movement and shearing inside the skull.
• 🫙 An analogy is a tin of olives: the tin (skull) may remain intact, but the olives (brain) inside can be damaged.
• 📉 Studies show higher concussion incidence in sports with helmets, as players may feel a false sense of security, leading to less caution.

Innovation Ecosystem in Ireland

• 🇮🇪 Ireland has a strong tech and medtech sector, with a skilled workforce and supportive ecosystem fostered by organizations like Enterprise Ireland.
• 🌱 Enterprise Ireland plays a crucial role in supporting early-stage startups like Sports Impact Technologies, helping them overcome initial hurdles.
• 🤝 The startup community in Ireland is collaborative, with companies keen to share learning and technologies, creating a favorable environment for innovation.

Company Mission and Future

• ✅ Sports Impact Technologies aims to improve health and safety in sports by providing objective data on head impacts, enabling safer participation.
• 🚀 The company is seeking investment to further develop its technology and expand its reach, driven by a passion for sports and a desire to enhance player well-being.