Separate studies performed on high school football and hockey players suggest that the Q-Collar—a C-shaped neck collar built from technology by Q30 Innovations—may help reduce brain injury.

The studies, performed by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, were published in Frontiers in Neurology (hockey players study) and British Journal of Sports Medicine (football players study).

When worn, the Q-Collar gently compresses the jugular vein to mildly increase blood volume in the cranium, creating a “tighter fit” of the brain in the cranium and reducing the “slosh” effect after a hit, which is a cause of traumatic brain injury or concussion, according to a media release from Q30 Innovations.

“These groundbreaking studies show early evidence Q30’s Q-Collar was effective to significantly reduce injury to the brain resulting from sports-related blows to the head,” says Westport, Conn-based Q30 Innovations Co-Founder Tom Hoey, in the release.

“These are important findings that warrant continued research of this potential major advance in reducing the occurrence of brain injuries,” he adds.

The Q-Collar was inspired by research from David Smith, PhD, visiting scientist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Smith conceived the idea of the Q-Collar after determining that woodpeckers and head-ramming sheep employ natural biological mechanisms to prevent brain damage from concussive hits, the release notes.

[Source(s): Q30 Innovations, PR Newswire]