Unmet NeedAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the incidence of traumatic brain injury in the United States has increased. These incidences include hospital visits due to recreational activities or high contact sports such as football, basketball, and hockey. Competitive contact sports require players to wear protective equipment which currently cannot provide rea time health condition updates to improve athlete safety and performance. Mouth guards offer a unique opportunity for technological intervention given that measurements of head movements and saliva content can inform of potential trauma or metabolic status. Accordingly, there is a need for “intelligent” mouth guards which guide decisions for optimal athletic performance, health and safety.
Technology OverviewExisting mouth guards can collect data on acceleration (linear & rotational), but lack the capability of receiving and managing data from other types of sensors such as temperature, Ph, lactose, location, impact direction, etc.
Johns Hopkins researchers developed an intelligent, moldable, pacifier-style mouth guard for improving athletic performance (IMAP). The mouth guard includes sensors that provide data about each athlete in real time and assesses performance based on hydration, lactic acidosis, concussion, and fatigue. It is energized by a long-life battery (6-12 months). Data streams via wireless interface (and cloud storage) providing visual analytic solutions for individual athletic performance improvement in real time that inform coaches, physicians, and athletes.
Stage of DevelopmentThe mouth guard and analytical software is at proof of concept phase.
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