A lot of attention has been paid to the dangers of
concussions in football since the death of former NFL defensive back
Andre Waters and the release of a report that indicated concussions
were tied to depression in ex-NFL players. Those incidents have led the
NFL to undertake several new initiatives and, across the nation,
football programs from the high-school to professional levels are
taking a more proactive approach to preventing head injuries. A former
Harvard quarterback and his innovative company are also contributing to
the cause with their newest invention - the X1 football helmet.
The
X1 is the product of Xenith LLC, a company established in 2004 by
Vincent Ferrara - a Harvard quarterback in the mid-90s and a graduate
of Columbia's business and medical schools. Ferrara founded Xenith with
the mission of advancing safety and activity through innovation and
education, and the company is currently focusing most of its attention
on finding ways to reduce concussions through new technology. Much of
the technology Xenith has developed so far is featured in the X1, which
incorporates an innovative head protection system not currently seen in
any other helmet. The system is called Xenith Adaptive Head
Protection™, and it's comprised of patent pending "Aware-Flow™ Shock
Absorbers" and a new fitting method known as "Fit Seeker™". According
to Xenith, the combined effect of these two technologies is designed to
reduce the risk and severity of concussions and other traumatic brain
injuries.
Here's how the system works: the X1 is equipped with 18
Aware-Flow Shock Absorbers embedded between the outer shell of the
helmet and a flexible interior head piece. Each shock absorber is a
lightweight, hollow disk made from thermoplastic urethane, with a small
hole in the center that allows air to flow in and out. Unlike the foam
in standard football helmets, the shock absorbers respond differently
to high, medium and low impacts. The disks absorb a low-impact hit by
slowly letting air out and compressing. But with a more forceful
(high-impact) hit, air pressure inside the disk creates greater
resistance - slowing down the speed at which the disks compress even
further. The overall purpose of the X1's shock absorption system is to
reduce the sudden movements of the head that often cause concussions.
Meanwhile, the "Fit Seeker" component assures that the helmet doesn't
go flying off during impact.
Recently, the X1 football helmet
received approval from the National Operating Committee on Standards
for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) - a nonprofit organization that
commissions research and attempts to establish standards for athletic
equipment. No word yet on whether the NFL is looking into this new
technology, or when the X1 will be available for retail purchase.
You can find more information about Xenith and the technology involved in the X1 football helmet at http://www.xenith.com
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