Michigan athletic mouthguard company tackles concussions

A smart mouthguard that measures impact to the head and brings attention to concussion detection has been unveiled by Akervall Technologies, makers of SISU mouthguards. Rollout of the U.S.-made electronic mouthguard will begin in the U.S. and Canada in February. It costs under $100 and can be preordered.

The SISU Sense mouthguard and accompanying app that deliver impact measurements to mobile devices were launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

“We’ve combined the safest mouthguard on the market with a sensor that measures the force of hits to the head,” said Sassa Akervall, Akervall Technologies CEO. “The information provided by the SISU Sense will assist coaches, parents and athletes understand the impact of a hit and decide if an athlete should be taken out of the game.

“Analysis of SISU Sense information may result in reducing an athlete’s exposure to dangerous situations in sports and may even change the rules in contact sports for the better.”

The easy-to-use app is included with each mouthguard purchase. It displays the number of major and minor hits an athlete has experienced throughout one day.

The SISU Sense difference is the glove-like fit of the mouthguard that enables accurate measurement of impacts to the head. The ultra-thin mouthguard – about as thin as a 50-cent coin – is custom fit by the athlete using hot water to soften the flat sheet of material, then sucking in air to create a vacuum for a precise, comfortable fit. It can be remolded up to 20 times and can even be used by those with braces.

Akervall’s Hit SenseTM Technology is a microchip sensor embedded in the left side of the guard by the rear molars. When an impact occurs, the chip provides acceleration measurements for what the head has experienced. This is enabled by the mouthguard’s patented material and design.

The locally produced chip includes a three-axis accelerometer for 3D force detection and a high-performance wireless processor. With a long-lasting battery that is also embedded, the low-power components provide one season’s use, approximately six months. No charging is required.

Like all Akervall mouthguards, the SISU Sense is USA-made and backed by the highest dental warranty in the industry: $35,000. Development of the material and unique design of Akervall mouthguards has been supported by grants from the Department of Defense and National Science Foundation. The company’s mouthguards are marketed in approximately 50 countries.

More about SISU Sense is at www.sisuguard.com, or contact Akervall Technologies at 800.444.0570 or customerservice@sisuguard.com.

Akervall Technologies Inc., headquartered in Saline, Michigan, manufactures ultra-thin, impression-less, custom fit, remoldable mouthguards: SISU® Mouthguard, SOVA® Night Guard and Intuguard®. They allow users to talk, drink and breathe normally in the sports, dentistry, military and hospital markets.

Committed to cutting-edge dental protection technology, Akervall produces mouthguards made of non-compressible thermoplastic polymer that are stronger than conventional mouthguards. Akervall mouthguards are cleared by the Food and Drug Administration and free of bisphenol A (BPA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalate and latex.

SISU athletic mouthguards are the official mouthguard of US Lacrosse and Team USA (Lacrosse).