OU Pioneering Helmet Technology

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Oklahoma football team is using its head ... literally. This fall, OU's team physicians and athletic training staff have launched a unique study to measure head impact and temperature. The Sooner program is one of only three nationally employing the technology.

Simbex, a New Hampshire-based company, has developed a computerized program that measures impacts, in G-forces, through sensors in football helmets. The program is called the HIT System, an acronym for Head Impact Telemetry. The data being gained through that research, which is being conducted at North Carolina, Virginia Tech and OU, will shape the future of head protection and treatment in the sport.

“Until now, the only feedback we received was subjective,” said Scott Anderson, head athletic trainer at OU. “We had to depend on what the athlete was telling us. Now, we'll have objective information as to how many impacts a player has taken and the degree of those impacts.”

Five OU players are wearing the sensors this fall. Confidentiality related to the research requires that their identities be kept a secret, but one is a receiver, one a linebacker, one a defensive end, one an offensive lineman and one a defensive back.

The specialized equipment was made possible through grant money provided by Bone and Joint Hospital and St. Anthony's Hospital. The equipment was purchased with monies from the St. Anthony's Hospital Foundation. Team physician Dr. Brock Schnebel was a driving force in the acquisition.

“Dr. Schnebel championed the whole thing and deserves all of the credit,” Anderson said.

Schnebel said the mystery surrounding head injuries has spurred his interest in the project.

“The critical decision on head injuries is the one we have to make about returning to play following an injury,” he said. “We're interested in anything that can be a help to the athletes and help us make good decisions.

“We looked at other devices, but this is the only on-the-field system I know of.”

The sensors transmit information to a laptop computer located in a field unit. That unit, which can reach 50 yards, will be used at all practices and games. Mid-year upgrades are expected that will increase the program's ability to communicate. Anderson said that the new equipment, which also measures the temperature inside the helmet, erases some of the mystery of a head injury.

“If the impact is not enough to force the player to pass out, a head injury can really be invisible,” he said. “We're looking for trends and to increase our understanding of what is happening.”

Schnebel added, “The loss of consciousness is actually uncommon in head injuries. On average, a team could see 10-15 concussions and there is a wide spectrum in their severity. This will give us a better evaluation.”

If the impact is 95 Gs or higher or if the temperature inside the helmet hits 102 degrees, an alarm is activated in Anderson's pocket.

“If I get paged, I know that I have something that is worth checking,” he said.

The study of head impact is actually two-fold. Schnebel said that he is interested in learning more about both direct hits and rotational blows that spin the head and brain quickly and with force.

“The ability to measure those forces in the field is new information,” Schnebel said. “The more numbers we get, the better we are at reacting. A lot of the benefit of this program will be in the future. We're still learning to interpret the data we're receiving. The important thing is that we are getting data.”

Oklahoma had to apply for participation in the selective program. Anderson said the combination of core body temperature and head impact research worked in OU's favor.

It's all part of a continuing effort at OU to be on the cutting edge of research in the area of sports medicine. Last year, scientists from Gatorade were in Norman studying heat, temperatures and body fluids. Another team from Gatorade arrived Thursday and will again work with the athletic training staff and OU team physician Dr. Randy Eichner, a respected expert in heat-related injury and illness.

“We're very fortunate to have a group of team physicians that are second to none,” Anderson said. “They're very interested in learning what they can do to minimize risk. We owe that to the student-athletes and their families, and I think they appreciate the significant steps we are taking on their behalf.”

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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