Corsair Innovations wins head-health grant

Corsair Innovations, a Plymouth, Mass.,-based company working with both the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and the American Flock Association, recently announced it was a recipient of $250,000 in phase three of the Head Health Challenge.

The challenge is a five-year program developed in 2014 by the National Football League, Under Armour, GE and the National Institute of Standards & Technology. The three-phased initiative was created to:

• Better understand and diagnose mild traumatic brain injury
• Improve protection from brain injury
• Advance materials to mitigate impact in sport

Corsair Innovations will use the funds to further refine its FEAM technology, a new approach to foam padding used in helmets and body armor. FEAM can absorb energy from blunt forces and reduce the risk of trauma by mitigating impact energies.

FEAM is a 100 percent textile replacement for foams. The material is made using a manufacturing process called flocking; the resulting material offers higher performance, is breathable and washable and can be used in a variety of applications, including military padding, athletic uniforms, police gear, gym mats, veterinary cushioning, prosthetic padding, etc.

This award will enable researchers at Corsair and UMass Dartmouth to further test and improve FEAM material with the goal of producing a better impact-attenuation system for helmets and other protective gear.