While studying abroad in New Zealand, Isla Bradford, a junior at Hawaii Preparatory Academy (HPA), learned that the Westlake School rugby team was using instrumented mouthguards (iMGs) to help their athletic trainers identify head acceleration events that were likely to result in a concussion—an injury impossible to see with the naked eye. As the student manager for HPA’s football team, Isla quickly realized that her classmates on the gridiron could benefit from this technology.

Taking initiative, she reached out to Prevent during summer break to explore the possibility of implementing the system at her school for the upcoming football season. Isla coordinated calls between Prevent and HPA’s Head Athletic Trainer, Aya Ichikawa, to better understand the steps needed to move forward with the project. She was also able to secure sponsorship through the Hutt808 project and Hawaii’s School of Education, who were interested in the data produced from the project.

Through conversations with HPA’s Head Athletic Trainer, it was clear their challenges aligned with those commonly faced by schools worldwide. Athletic Trainers bear the responsibility of monitoring athletes and ensuring their safety. However, due to limited resources, this task can become overwhelming. Often outnumbered by student-athletes at more than a 50:1 ratio, it is impossible for athletic trainers to detect, monitor and track all head impacts in real-time without the use of technology.

Like many schools, HPA’s sports medical staff relied heavily on athletes either self-reporting concussion symptoms, or outwardly displaying visible concussion signs. Understanding the serious health risks associated with athletes potentially playing with undiagnosed or untreated concussions, HPA took a forward thinking approach and partnered with Prevent Biometrics to create a safer environment for their athletes.

Recognizing a challenge and making a plan are important steps, but execution is what matters. Within just one day of receiving the Prevent system, HPA equipped their players with instrumented mouthguards and also began collecting real-time head impact data.

The iMG system is designed with simplicity in mind, enabling quick deployment without the need for extensive technical expertise. Coaches and athletic trainers can seamlessly integrate the system into their programs within minutes, with easy-to-follow setup instructions and intuitive mobile app functionality. This ensures minimal disruption to team operations while delivering immediate benefits.

By implementing Prevent’s head impact monitoring system, HPA significantly enhanced their athletic trainers’ ability to monitor players for head acceleration events in real time. This technology allowed them to take a more proactive approach to concussion management, enabling them to immediately identify and evaluate those athletes most likely to have endured a concussion.

After just four weeks of utilizing the head impact monitoring system, HPA was able to identify athletes who were experiencing the most significant head impacts and proactively check in with them. The data revealed that one athlete, in particular, was consistently enduring high-magnitude hits compared to the rest of the group.

During HPA’s game in week four, the Prevent system triggered an alert to check on this specific athlete after they sustained a blow that exceeded a predetermined force threshold. The Head Athletic Trainer promptly assessed the athlete on the sidelines and, following their normal evaluation process, determined the athlete should not return to play. Given this athlete’s competitive nature and toughness, HPA’s athletic trainer is confident that if it were not for the data and alert, this athlete could have slipped through the cracks.