About Shield Hawk 

 

Current helmet technology is designed to reduce and/or absorb the lateral and rotational  collision forces that can contribute to head and neck injuries but offers no standard solution for impact forces sustained directly by the helmet’s facemask.  Shield Hawk was designed to minimize the impact of concussive and subconcussive hits to the facemask of interior players on the Offense and Defensive Line across all age levels.

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Much more research needs to be conducted regarding subconcussive hits which are most likely related to repetitive head impacts (RHI) and typically do not present the same way that a serious concussive hit does. Subconcussion results from some sort of direct or indirect force to the head that does not result in the full set of signs and symptoms used to diagnose a concussion. Researches have been studying the long term impact of subconcussive hits. Some researches believe that brain trauma among football players (and athletes in other sports such as lacrosse and hockey) may be less the result of violent collisions that cause concussions as the cumulative effect of repetitive head impacts (RHI).  

 

At Shield Hawk, we are committed to designing safety products that will help athletes compete more safely and provide peace of mind to those who love to watch them play.  The Shield Hawk significantly reduces the amount of rotational acceleration to a players head by up to 33%. The shear deformation of brain tissue caused by rotational acceleration is the predominant mechanism of injury in concussion.  The Shield Hawk was designed to address the forgotten facemask. Whether the hits are repetitive, incidental or major Shield Hawk pads the player's facemask helping to absorb detrimental impact forces.   

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Prior products have attempted to solve one or more of these issues using collapsible hinges,  springs, or absorption clips that attach the facemask directly to the helmet. Adding this type of protection is costly and may not protect the player uniformly from collisions impacting different angles of the facemask. These devices may also interfere with the need to safely remove a player’s facemask due to injury and may present a safety risk to the player as multiple parts may break upon impact.

           Biomechanics of Concussion, David F. Meaney, PhDa, and Douglas H. Smith, MDb

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