CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — An Illinois high school
hockey coach is taking the pro-active approach to concussion
awareness and detection.
Tim Johannes, who coaches at Stevenson High School, invented the
Shockwave System, designed
for anyone wearing helmets with the risk of sustaining a
concussion, including athletes, firefighters and military
members.
The Shockwave System is a
three-step system, starting with baseline testing to assess the
person’s balance in a non-concussed state. This data is
recorded onto the form that comes with the Shockwave System.
Step two is placing the Shockwave device, which is about the
size of a postage stamp, onto the helmet. This device is
calibrated to change colors (from white to red) when an impact
exceeding its rated G-force has been sustained. The third
step is learning about concussions and what symptoms to look
for.
The Shockwave System measures the G-force that the helmet
receives from contact. G-force is the measure of the forces
applied to the brain during acceleration or deceleration injuries.
The device is calibrated for the age-group that will be wearing the
helmet and what medical studies have shown as to how much G-force
they can sustain.
“If not diagnosed properly, concussions can leave a person
severely injured for the rest of their life,” Johannes said.
“The Shockwave System will not prevent the first impact
concussion. But, if triggered, the Shockwave System can
prevent the second impact syndrome that can happen when someone who
is suffering a concussion is hit a second time.”
The Stevenson High School hockey team was the first organization
to use the Shockwave System ($21.95), and now numerous teams and
leagues – in multiple sports and at multiple levels –
are using it.
The Shockwave System, manufactured in the U.S., elim
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