Leading technologies and patent portfolios combine to advance concussion safety
MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 22, 2018) — Prevent Biometrics, the Cleveland Clinic spinoff that developed the first accurate, real-time system for monitoring head impacts in contact sports, today announced that it has acquired the head impact monitoring assets of Seattle-based X2 Biosystems. The transaction brings together the two leading head impact monitoring technologies, Prevent’s Impact Monitor Mouthguard, and X2’s skin patch-based platform.
Prevent Biometrics will now hold nine issued U.S. patents and 12 issued international patents related to measuring and displaying head impacts.
“The opportunity to add X2’s patents and engineering know how is an exceptional one for Prevent,” said Steve Washburn, Prevent Biometrics’ co-founder and CEO. “Head impact monitoring holds transformational potential for concussion safety, and our combined intellectual property gives us a tremendous competitive advantage in this emerging category,” Washburn continued.
The ability to accurately measure head impacts on the field allows teams to make objective, data-informed decisions about removing athletes for concussion assessment, an improvement over the current subjective observational methods. Widely accepted published research estimates that 50% of sports concussions go undetected and undiagnosed.
Prevent’s technology also allows coaches to teach athletes safer playing techniques that minimize head impact exposure. Leading concussion researchers have used both the Prevent and X2 systems in their studies to better understand head impacts and relate them to clinical outcomes. Historically both companies worked, and Prevent continues to work, with the U.S. Military to develop head impact monitoring solutions for training and combat situations.
Chris Neil, Head of Maxim Ventures, the strategic investment arm of analog chip-maker Maxim Integrated and significant stakeholder in X2, and Chris Siege, a major investor in X2, commented on the transaction: “Head impact monitoring is a practical example of IoT applied to sports and healthcare. Safety in youth sports is a real concern affecting millions of kids and we are happy to see Prevent continuing to make strategic moves and lead the way in making sports safer. Low-power sensors and circuits provided by Maxim enable smaller size sensors and the proliferation of head impact monitoring technology. By combining the X2 and Prevent technologies, we are excited about the many benefits this will provide to athletes, coaches, trainers, teams, researchers and healthcare professionals. Prevent’s Impact Monitor Mouthguard has emerged as the most effective product in the space, and their team has the expertise to commercialize a range of solutions to better understand concussions and immediately improve player safety.”
Terms of the transaction were not released.
About Prevent Biometrics®
Prevent Biometrics®, a Cleveland Clinic spinoff, was established in 2015 in Minneapolis. The company has developed the first head impact monitoring technology that accurately measures head impact characteristics in real time. For additional information visit PreventBiometrics.com.
About Maxim Integrated
Maxim Integrated develops innovative analog and mixed-signal products and technologies to make systems smaller and smarter, with enhanced security and increased energy efficiency. We are empowering design innovation for our automotive, industrial, healthcare, mobile consumer and cloud data center customers to deliver industry-leading solutions that help change the world. Learn more at https://www.maximintegrated.com.
