FDA-Cleared Sports Equipment To Help Protect Athletes' Brains During Head Impacts

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared a piece of sports equipment (Q-Collar; Q30 Innovations, Westport, CN) designed to help protect the brain from the effects of repetitive subconcussive head impacts has become available in the US. The device provides an extra layer of protection for athletes of any contact sport.

The equipment is a collar worn around the neck with existing protective sports equipment and is designed for athletes age 13 years and more. The collar has been researched for years with on-field testing by over 1,000 athletes playing football, soccer, and hockey. The collar uses jugular vein compression to slightly increase blood volume in the cranium to reduce brain movement that possibly causes injury. The collar is safe and effective at helping to protect athletes' brains from effects associated with repetitive subconcussive head impacts.

"Over the past decade, coaches, athletes, parents and decision makers at every level of sport have been forced to reckon with a deeper understanding of the potential for both short- and long-term dangers of head injuries in sports," said Julian Bailes, MD, chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, NorthShore University Health System; and chief medical advisor for Q30 Innovations. "With the US launch of the Q-Collar, athletes nationwide finally have access to a novel advancement in head injury protection that will enable them to play the sports they love with a greater degree of safety."

The collar is recommended for athletes playing contact sports including, but not limited to, football, soccer, lacrosse, and hockey. The collar comes in 8 sizes correlating to different neck measurements and is priced at $199 (plus tax). Athletic team discounts are available.