HotHead Technologies' Heat Sensor Shows Exciting Potential by Kennesaw State University Researchers

/PRNewswire/ -- HotHead Technologies, Inc. today announced that the technology they have developed shows promising signs in early research results by Kennesaw State University researchers as an early warning system for heat injury.

"It's exciting news that research from a university as respected as Kennesaw State has been able to verify much earlier than we anticipated, in the preliminary stages of research that the reliability and validity of this device may be so quickly established," said Jay Buckalew, Founder and CEO of HotHead Technologies. "Heat-related injury and death has been of great concern recently. We're thankful that, starting this season, we can begin to put the minds of parents, coaches and certified athletic trainers at ease."

"In more than a decade of conducting prototype research, I have never seen data come out as tight as the data we collected for this technology," said Dr. Laurie Tis PhD., ATC., FACSM, Associate Dean and Professor at Kennesaw State University. "The research is on its way to confirming the correlation between actual body temperature and the relayed information. This is just a good, solid device. I am confident that when HotHead Technologies decides to go to market, it will be ready."

As the spring football season approaches, universities and high schools throughout the country are beginning to ask how they can properly measure the body temperature of their student-athletes and prevent these types of heat-related injuries. They have never been able to accurately monitor the body temperature of an athlete on the field - until now.

The Heat Observation Technology (H.O.T.) system provides coaches and athletic trainers with an early-warning detection system. The dime-size device is integrated into an athlete's helmet where it tracks the temperature trends of players on the field. That data is then wirelessly sent to a PDA where it can be monitored in real-time. In the event a player's temperature rises above normal, an audible alert is set off to warn a coach or certified athletic trainer that the player should be evaluated and cooled down.

Kennesaw State is currently in the process of conducting the second phase of the H.O.T. system research. Results will be submitted to peer-reviewed scientific journals as early as this summer.

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New CDC Study First to Present National Outdoor Recreational Injury Estimates

Nearly 213,000 treated in emergency departments annually-- more than
half of injuries among young people ages 10-24.

Almost 213,000 people were treated each year in emergency departments
for outdoor recreational injuries from 2004 to 2005, according to a
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study in the journal
Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. Of those injured, about 109,000
(51.5 percent) were young people between the ages of 10 and 24.

For both men and women of all ages, the most common injuries were
fractures (27.4 percent) and sprains (23.9 percent). Of these, most
injuries were to the arms or legs (52 percent) or to the head or neck
(23.3 percent). Overall, 6.5 percent of outdoor injuries treated were
diagnosed as traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Researchers found that snowboarding (25.5 percent), sledding (10.8
percent), and hiking (6.3 percent) were associated with the highest
percentage of injuries requiring emergency department visits.

"Participation in outdoor recreation is increasingly popular in the
United States," said Arlene Greenspan, Dr. PH and co-author of the
study. "The good news is that there are ways to help stay safe while
having healthy fun outdoors. For example, by wearing the appropriate
helmet for snowboarding, snowmobiling, sledding and rock climbing, you
can reduce your risk of having a head injury, which could become a
traumatic brain injury. Helmets are one piece of equipment that can
have a critical, positive impact."

The study points out that wilderness injury prevention begins with
planning, preparation, and problem anticipation. Outdoor adventurers
can help prevent injuries by:

* Maintaining their levels of fitness, knowing their skill levels
and experience, and not exceeding their limits.
* Checking and maintaining their equipment and replacing if
needed.
* Carrying a first-aid kit (and, if appropriate for the situation,
a two-way communication device.)
* Alerting others about where they are going.

"We encourage people of all ages to enjoy recreational activities to
stay healthy and fit," said Ileana Arias, Ph.D., director of the CDC
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. "With proper planning
and preparation, you can anticipate potential problems and reduce
possible injuries and long-term consequences."

For more information about CDC's prevention efforts, please link to
www.cdc.gov/injury. For a full copy of the study, please visit
http://www.wemjournal.org/pdfserv/i1080-6032-019-02-0091.pdf

Department of Health and Human Services