SBIR Phase I: Smart Mouth Guard for Measurements of Physiology and Physical Effects

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to minimize short-and long- term effects of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, impact, and other conditions. The proposed project advances an oral system capable of monitoring physiology and physical responses. The initial application of athletics enables development of a tool that can be used more broadly for health monitoring of military forces and other users at risk. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a durable, adaptable, and wholly instrumented physiology monitoring mouth guard system that can provide real-time tracking of a range of biometrics, such as impact force and body temperature. Intra-oral measurements lend themselves monitoring and assessment, and a mouth guard can collect precise multi-sensor data at low power, then transmit data wirelessly. The proposed research and development activities will focus on development and integration of sensors and wireless communication capabilities for real-time data on health (e.g., core temperature), movement (e.g., acceleration, rotational motion), and impact forces (e.g., high-velocity collision). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.