Entrepreneur takes new approach to concussion issue
Helmet has foamless cushioning system that uses air to release excess energy
CAMBRIDGE — About a year ago, Marty Lachance was listening to the radio when he heard yet another story about concussions in sport.
This time, he decided to try to do something about it. He took a week off work with the goal of designing an improved helmet, and quickly had a concept in mind.
Lachance’s idea involves a foamless cushioning system that could be incorporated in sports and safety helmets.
While he’s not yet prepared to reveal too many specifics about his patent-pending design, it involves the use of air or another gas as a cushion and a means to release excess energy.
“You have to extend the time of impact,” says Lachance, who founded the Cambridgebased company HeadNorth Inc. to develop the idea. “You want to dissipate the energy, and slow the impact down.”
He believes his system wouldn’t increase overall helmet size and can still keep them affordable. “My ultimate goal is to put the cushioning system in every helmet in every sport.”
Lachance is the first to admit he doesn’t come from an engineering background. And he’s never played a helmet sport.
But he maintains that his position as an “outsider” is an advantage in terms of looking at things differently. “My background is creative solutions to problems.”
Lachance, 49, has worked as a systems analyst and programmer in the past, and launched digital marketing firm ChatWorthy in 2011.
He has approached a number of experts in fields including biomechanics, simulation software and neurotrauma with his cushioning concept for feedback.
Lachance plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign for the project in the coming weeks. Details will be available on the www.headnorth.ca website.
“We’re not going to solve the problem of injury when you’re smashing your head into something, but there’s no reason we can’t mitigate the risk,” he says.
He has discussed the idea with Mohsen Tayefeh, a consulting simulation specialist familiar with the software that could be used to simulate and test his design. The software, ANSYS LS-DYNA, is commonly used in the automotive industry for crash simulation.
Tayefeh thinks the idea deserves further exploration.
“From the concept point of view, it has the potential to absorb energy better than foam,” he said. “In that aspect, I can see potential if it is engineered properly.”
Dr. Richard Riopelle, co-president of Brain Injury Canada and chief research officer for the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, believes the idea is an interesting and timely one.
“Precisely because of the prevalence of what we’re dealing with here from concussion and worse brain injury,” he says.
He does point out that these types of injuries can also be caused by torsional or twisting forces, and not just from direct impacts.
Riopelle has put Lachance in touch with other contacts, and believes that his best chance to advance the project lies in working with the academic community.
Especially in Canada, industry tends not to invest extensively in research innovation, Riopelle says. On the other hand, academia can offer substantial research investment.
“This is the root of innovation,” he says. “This is where it really has to start.”
Lachance admits he’s hesitant to partner with the academic community because of concerns over intellectual property issues. He’s also not keen on approaching a single helmet manufacturer, because he’d like to see the system adopted across the board.
“I’d prefer to work with all of them when the time is right, if they have the interest, to co-develop it,” he says. “I know that’s probably not realistic.”
Lachance knows he’s got a long, expensive road ahead of him, but he’s optimistic his concept will take root.
“I had someone say to me that being too passionate is the antithesis of good engineering,” Lachance says. “While I agree with this to a certain extent, I believe that the absence of passion is the antithesis of innovation.”