CONCEPT TO COMMERCIALIZATION OF A MEMS-BASED BLAST DOSIMETRY SYSTEM

Traumatic brain Injury (TBI) has emerged as the signature injury of modern war, impacting over 300,000 Servicemembers since 2000. While 82% of these injuries are classified mild, there is significant concern with the potential for long-lasting neurocognitive and neuro-degenerative effects. Diagnosis of mild TBI is difficult, with symptoms that are wide-ranging, non-specific, and often delayed in onset. The Blast Gauge (R) System was created to provide an objective measure of blast overpressure and acceleration exposure, providing triage data to assist in identifying soldiers at risk of TBI and detailed waveforms to enable correlation of singular and repetitive exposure to acute and chronic injury. From concept to deployment in 11 months and company formation to first product shipment in 4 months, this MEMS-based soldier-borne blast dosimeter has rapidly provided a new capability to track exposure in training and operations for the US DoD, law enforcement, and international militaries. Widespread deployment of the technology has yielded new insight into previously unrecognized dangers of heavy weapons training and captured valuable information about IED exposures in theater.