In an effort to reduce traumatic brain injury (TBI) experienced by soldiers in the field, the US army awarded a near-million-dollar research contract to Lebanon, NH-based Simbex, LLC, to develop a sensor-lined helmet that measures the force of blasts from IEDs, shrapnel, or enemy fire. Because TBI is so common in the ongoing fighting in Iraq, and have the potential to go undetected until they manifest themselves in behavioral changes or short-term memory loss, the army hopes to get technology in the field this year to help understand how it might be prevented.
On August 24, 2007, the army awarded Simbex a contract for $ 932,000 to develop a prototype model that it plans to test against several other competing technologies in upcoming tests. Simbex is a company that specializes in biomechanics, with previous innovations in injury rehabilitation and helmets and support systems that provide real-time impact data for football coaches during games and practice.
TBI has been touted as “the signature injury of the war,” both by Harvard University professor Kit Parker, who served with the US Army in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2003, and by Simbex’s press material.
Simbex has not yet developed a system for extracting the data collected by the sensors, nor has it even decided which direction it is likely to move, either utilizing radio frequency Identification (RFID) technology currently in use on army bases, or handheld scanners used by medics on the battlefield. The company’s football sensors transmit data immediately to a computer located on the sidelines.
This research grant is part of a defense department initiative, the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO).
Unfortunately, TBI is not just a reality of the battlefield. It is a tragic reality for many families whose members suffer injuries at work or on the road. If you or someone you love has suffered a TBI, you don’t have to wait for all the data to come in, contact G. Eric Nelson & Associates, Personal Injury Lawyers practicing in Salt Lake City and Northern Utah.
