CHICAGO, Sept. 24, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Founded by concerned parents of active kids, the Head Case Concussion Management System is a three-part concussion management system that measures head impacts, records data and provides diagnostic tools to detect potential concussions.
Concussions are a growing epidemic among young athletes; 1 in 5 high school athletes sustains a concussion each year. Repeat concussions can cause memory loss, attention difficulties and long-term brain damage. In August 2013, the NFL and 4,500 former players reached an agreement to settle a concussion-related lawsuit for $765 million, bringing further attention to the dangers of concussions.
After enduring over 10 concussions in his athletic career, Dan Nicholson of Lake Forest feels the effects of those hits every day. As a concerned father of three young athletes in contact sports and a coach for youth sports, he made it his personal and professional mission to create an affordable concussion management system to keep kids protected from the risk of cumulative undetected concussions.
After teaming up with Tom Hodgkins, a father of four active kids with an overseas product manufacturing background, the two created the Head Case Concussion Management System (HCCMS). The Head Case system can track and record an athlete's concussion data over his/her entire athletic career. Head impacts are measured in G-force and recorded, and failed concussion symptom detection tests and diagnosed concussions are tracked over an athlete's career to provide a lifelong head health record. This allows coaches, parents and athletes to make informed decisions about head health and the future of an athlete's play.
"Too many kids go back in the game after a hard hit when they should be staying on the bench," explains Nicholson. "No one can prevent the first hit from happening, but we can prevent the permanent damage inflicted from the second hit. The statistics and science are everywhere – we need the game to be a safer place for our kids."
Head Case has attracted the support of former professional NFL players including Tom Waddle of the Chicago Bears and Chris Chandler, who played with eight teams during his 17-season career. Both are parents of active kids in contact sports who want to see the standards of head health change for youth athletes.
The Head Case system consists of three components:
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Head Case Impact Sensor
The Head Case Impact Sensor is a small device which is inserted into a helmet to monitor and measure head impacts. The sensor incorporates an accelerometer and a memory board, which records the impact of any hit over a prescribed G-force threshold indicating potential risk to the athlete's head. By reviewing the athlete's normal impact history and comparing to national averages, the sensor can detect impacts of concern and alert coaches.
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Head Case Mobile App
The Head Case Mobile App works with the Head Case Impact Sensor as a field-side tool when a large collision results in an injury. The Head Case Mobile App will walk a parent, trainer or coach through a series of questions about impact-related head trauma. Once an athlete has completed the field-side concussion symptom detection test, the data from the test is relayed to that athlete's personal profile on the Head Case Website, where it is paired with impact data collected from the sensor.
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Head Case Website
The Head Case Website is the final component in the Head Case Concussion Management System where registered athletes have their critical data stored securely and correlated against broad data provided by both the medical community and other athletes. The website is designed to serve as both a resource center for traumatic brain injury information and news, and a personalized record of an athlete's head traumas across his career.
Current concussion management products on the market are costly. The Head Case Concussion Management System is $99, and can be used for the lifetime of the athlete. The Head Case Impact Sensor can be used in multiple helmets.
The HCCMS will be available for pre-order through the company's Indiegogo campaign from October 1 to November 15, 2013.
Head Case:
Founded by concerned parents of competitive kids, Head Case is a sports technology company with the mission to protect athletes from the cumulative risk of otherwise undetected concussions. The Head Case Concussion Management System is an affordable, easy-to-use full circle program that measures head impacts, provides diagnostic tools to detect potential concussions and recommends local treatment facilities available. The system is comprised of the Head Case Impact Sensor, Head Case Mobile App, and Head Case Website. Head Case was founded by Dan Nicholson and Tom Hodgkins. Through education and awareness, Head Case aims to prevent traumatic brain injuries and long-term permanent brain damage due to repeated undetected concussions. www.headcasecompany.com