SISU Sense mouthguard.Courtesy of Akervall Technologies
Akervall Technologies has released SISU Sense, a smart mouthguard and accompanying mobile app that is able to track and measure head impacts in contact sports. The company launched the product at CES 2019 in Las Vegas.
Akervall’s patented Hit Sense technology includes a microchip sensor embedded in the left side of the mouthguard next to where an athlete’s upper rear molars would be. The sensor measures the force of hits to the head experienced by an athlete, since the teeth in the upper jaw are rigidly connected to movement of the skull. The chip wirelessly transmits data to a mobile app and divides registered collisions into two categories—“minor hits” and “major hits”—based on the measured force of impact.
“We’ve combined the safest mouthguard on the market with a sensor that measures the force of hits to the head,” said Sassa Akervall, Akervall Technologies CEO, in a press release. “The information provided by the SISU Sense will assist coaches, parents and athletes understand the impact of a hit and decide if an athlete should be taken out of the game.”
Inside the mobile app, users can navigate through day-by-day results to never lose track of the hits an athlete took in the past (for as long as they were wearing the SISU Sense mouthguard). The mouthguard is only slightly thicker than a 50-cent coin, according to Akervall. Also embedded into the guard is a battery that lasts up to six months with no charging required.
The mouthguard will begin rolling out this month across the U.S. and Canada. It will cost under $100, including the mobile app. SISU Sense technology is developed in Saline, Mich., where Akervall is headquartered. Akervall is supported by a pair of grants from the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation.
SportTechie Takeaway
Sports has long been faced with the difficult task of finding effective ways of detecting head injuries and concussions. While SISU Sense’s smart mouthguard sensor will not directly diagnose a concussion, the device could be used by a coach to interpret when an athlete might be at greater risk of injury due to tracked hits to the head. At a price under $100, the SISU Sense mouthguard should also be a realistically affordable solution for amateur athletes and youth sports organizations.
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