This SBIR project will a develop special material designed to rapidly absorb energy from sports or recreational impacts for young athletes. Such impacts can lead to a condition called "commotio cordis," the second leading cause of death in young athletes. Studies have shown that none of the commercially available chest protectors are effective in preventing commotio cordis. Current materials used in protective gear typically rely on polymeric foams with or without a hard shell. While they may slow down a projectile, they cannot absorb the impact quickly enough to reduce or eliminate the dangers of commotio cordis. The intellectual merit of this project is in developing chest protectors that will actually prevent or significantly minimize the risk of commotio cordis. The company will explore combinations of materials with extraordinarily high strain-rate response that can absorb energy more quickly and efficiently than the commercial products available today. These lightweight materials will be deployed and tested in a variety of configurations, to further improve their ability to rapidly absorb energy. The broader impacts of this research would be to dramatically help save lives, and at the same time yield great commercial potential as well. First and foremost would be use of the material in chest protectors for young athletes. The market for sports protection gear in the U.S. is about $400 million. Subsequent markets would include protective equipment for the other parts of the body, such as the head, or for other demographics, such as seniors in danger of falling. Development of such chest protectors would fill an important void in the protection of our youth and potentially many others. The long-term benefits of this technology will be in significantly reducing the high medical costs of treatment, improving the quality of life of athletes and others who may otherwise suffer from injuries or lifelong disabilities from the effects of impacts and falls
