Researchers at Stanford University and Savior Brain have developed a groundbreaking helmet fitted with liquid shock absorbers that could greatly lessen the incidence of sports-induced brain injuries. The helmet’s performance outshined current models in simulated NFL trials, thereby indicating a substantial decrease in impact scores.
The novel helmet featuring liquid shock absorbers could curtail the risk associated with traumatic brain injuries in high-contact sports.
Millions of concussions are reported annually in the United States due to sports activities. Athletes participating in sports like American football are especially susceptible to injuries that can lead to significant long-term health implications.
Addressing this grave issue, the team at Stanford University and Savior Brain has devised a potential solution: a helmet equipped with liquid shock absorbers. This revolutionary design has the potential to reduce the force of head impacts by a third.
“Many on our team have personal experiences with traumatic brain injuries and are profoundly committed to the long-term brain health of athletes,” shared Nicholas Cecchi, a PhD candidate at Stanford University and the study’s lead author in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. “The issue of concussion and repeated head impacts remains a major problem in contact sports, and we believe that enhanced helmet technology can play a pivotal role in mitigating the risk of brain injury.”
Minimizing HARM
Prior studies from the Camarillo Lab at Stanford University posited that liquid shock absorbers could enhance protection in sports helmets. To examine this, the team created a finite element model of an American football helmet fitted with 21 liquid shock absorbers. This model is an engineering tool used for pre-manufacturing performance simulation.
The team subjected this helmet to simulations of the helmet performance evaluation protocol used by the NFL and compared its performance against four existing helmet models. In light of the growing evidence that undiagnosed impacts can also pose serious health risks, the team also incorporated lower velocity impacts into their evaluation protocol.
The team calculated a Head Acceleration Response Metric (HARM) score, a measure to evaluate helmet performance during impact, by studying head kinematics for each impact. These kinematics were also used in a model of the head and brain to assess the resulting strain on the brain.
A Reduction of 33% in Impact
The results demonstrated that the helmet with liquid shock absorbers could significantly mitigate the severity of impact and the strain on the brain resulting from head impacts, thus potentially reducing injuries dramatically. The novel helmet performed better than existing models, achieving the lowest HARM score in 33 of the 36 different impact conditions tested, averaging a reduction in score by a third. The helmet also scored the best in ‘Helmet Performance Score’, a criterion in the NFL’s annual helmet safety rankings, which considers how well a helmet defends against impacts in different areas of the head.
The ‘side upper’ part of the helmet carries the highest weightage as impacts here are most likely to induce concussions. The innovative helmet reduced the HARM score in this area by 39-50% across all impact velocities without compromising protection in other helmet areas.
“The liquid technology provided an average improvement of over 30% for both low and high velocities,” stated Dr. Yuzhe Liu, corresponding author, who conducted the work as a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University. “It can considerably lessen the loading on the brain experienced during various American football impacts.”
The team aims to substantially enhance the model to offer better protection to players, for example, by improving the facemask and chinstrap. They also have plans to transform the model into a physical helmet for real-life testing and hope to design similar helmets for other sports in the future. However, different sports or levels of play may require assessment by different metrics and design redevelopment.
Cecchi stated, “Our next objective is to transition the computer model into a physical prototype.” He added, “Once we successfully accomplish that, we’re keen on conducting human studies that could show a reduction in concussion incidence or a mitigation in impact severity for sub-concussive impacts. We aim to extend our implementation of liquid shock absorbers to more helmet areas and more helmeted applications to improve brain safety for a wide range of populations.”
The research paper titled “Finite element evaluation of an American football helmet featuring liquid shock absorbers for protecting against concussive and subconcussive head impacts” authored by Nicholas J. Cecchi, Hossein Vahid Alizadeh, Yuzhe Liu, and David B. Camarillo was published on June 9, 2023, in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology.
DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1160387
The study was funded by the NIH Small Business Innovation Research and the National Science Foundation.
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Helmet with Liquid Shock Absorbers
Who developed the helmet with liquid shock absorbers?
Researchers at Stanford University, in collaboration with Savior Brain, developed the helmet with liquid shock absorbers.
What is the purpose of this new helmet design?
The newly designed helmet is equipped with liquid shock absorbers with the aim to significantly reduce sports-related traumatic brain injuries.
How was the new helmet tested?
The helmet was subjected to simulations based on the helmet performance evaluation protocol used by the NFL. Its performance was compared against four existing helmet models across 36 different impact conditions.
What were the results of the tests?
The helmet with liquid shock absorbers dramatically reduced impact severity and brain strain caused by head impacts. It performed better than the existing models, producing the lowest HARM score in 33 out of 36 different impact conditions tested, thereby reducing the average score by a third.
What are the future plans for this helmet design?
The team plans to improve the model significantly, incorporating enhancements to the facemask and chinstrap. They also plan to turn the model into a physical helmet for real-life testing and hope to create similar helmets for other sports in the future.
More about Helmet with Liquid Shock Absorbers
- Stanford University
- Savior Brain (As of my last update in September 2021, there is no known website or online presence for Savior Brain. Please search for updated information.)
- Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
- NFL’s Annual Helmet Safety Rankings
- NIH Small Business Innovation Research
- National Science Foundation
5 comments
wait, liquid shock absorbers? inside a helmet? sounds like something outta sci-fi movie. super cool if it works though!
Dang! That’s cool stuff. Finally someone’s thinkin’ bout the player’s safety. kudos to Stanford!
As a mom and tech enthusiast, I’m loving this innovation, need to keep our athletes safe on the field…
Helmet safety’s a big deal, especially in football. glad to see progress in this area! Hope it’s as good as they say it is!
bout time they did something. My son’s a linebacker. Worried sick about concussions every game. Hope this helmet tech comes to market soon.