Riddell, TGen team with ASU football to refine football helmet safety

Riddell and the Translational Genomics Research Institute have announced the Arizona State University Sun Devil football program will again participate in a genetic research study designed to advance athlete concussion detection and treatment.

The research project, in its second year with ASU, will combine molecular information and head impact data from the student-athletes to determine whether the effects of sub-concussive hits are identifiable, according to a press release.

Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) will collect baseline blood-based samples from all ASU athlete volunteers prior to their preseason workouts. They will then follow the athletes through their daily workouts throughout the season.

Riddell, the official helmet provider of ASU, will again deploy its Sideline Response System (SRS) to obtain real-time head impact data from the players. Data from the study will be used for the development of new football helmets and further refinement updates to smart helmet technologies like Riddell SRS and the recently launched Riddell InSite Impact Response System.

“We’re impressed by the enthusiasm exhibited by our partners, Arizona State University and TGen, as we enter the second season of our important research collaboration,” Dan Arment, president of Riddell, said in the press release. “They have matched our level of passion for football, and we are all committed to better protecting those that play the sport we love. We are left encouraged following the first year of our project and look forward to continuing on the path toward advancing concussion detection and treatment of athletes.”

Reference: www.riddell.com