Virginia Tech STAR rating system being developed for hockey helmets

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

11 minutes ago, marka said:

Howdy,

Acceleration by definition is a change in velocity over time.  So while it it completely true that any helmet (or no helmet) won't have an effect on the starting velocity or the ending velocity of a head for a particular impact, it very well could have an effect on the time it takes for the head to change velocity.  A longer time means less acceleration, which is better for your noggin.

For example...

If your head goes from 5 meters/second to 0 over .01 seconds, you experience ~50g.  If you increase that time to .015 seconds, you experience ~33g.  That's just 5 milliseconds different and my butt says that's within the realm of what different padding can do.

Mark

You're gonna need a REALLY big helmet for that!!!  Like several FEET in diameter!!

[Stryker 37]

Still no tacks helmet tests? WTF? Is CCM trying to hide the scores because they're bad?

[clarkiestooth 235]

38 minutes ago, Stryker said:

Still no tacks helmet tests? WTF? Is CCM trying to hide the scores because they're bad?

I think Oliver Stone is working on the movie as we speak.

[Davideo 99]

On 12/5/2017 at 11:21 AM, dkmiller3356 said:

You're gonna need a REALLY big helmet for that!!!  Like several FEET in diameter!!

Which brings up a serious question, is there a limit of the size of goalie helmets? Otherwise I need to start selling 6x4 helmets.

[EBondo 233]

On 12/4/2017 at 9:54 AM, JR Boucicaut said:

https://www.beam.vt.edu/helmet/helmets_hockey.php

And we have the first 5-Star helmet in the CCM FL500.

Still have yet to sell one at our store.

 

Not to mention, it looks and feels hideous. 

[clarkiestooth 235]

 

The only way to reduce concussions is to either change the rules or learn to play with your head up. Unfortunately for the helmet companies, they can't charge for that. So they try to suck you in with highly marketed foam schemes. 

To prove my point, I would put half the NHL in this 5 star ccm bucket, half in vintage Jofa Gretzky lids. I would predict you have fewer concussions with the Jofa, Why? Because the Jofa guys would be more vigilant because the Jofa doesn't protect much.

[Stryker 37]

4 hours ago, clarkiestooth said:

 

The only way to reduce concussions is to either change the rules or learn to play with your head up. Unfortunately for the helmet companies, they can't charge for that. So they try to suck you in with highly marketed foam schemes. 

To prove my point, I would put half the NHL in this 5 star ccm bucket, half in vintage Jofa Gretzky lids. I would predict you have fewer concussions with the Jofa, Why? Because the Jofa guys would be more vigilant because the Jofa doesn't protect much.

Plus they'd look way better

[marka 526]

Howdy,

https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2017/12/ictas-fivestarhockey.html

Mark

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Cool if your head shape happens to fit that helmet!

[flip12 714]

17 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

Cool if your head shape happens to fit that helmet!

It would be interesting to compare the same helmet but with different padding packages.

[Leif 161]

Last year I went from a Bauer 4500 to a Bauer Reakt 200. Whilst my views are subjective, and unscientific, I’m pretty damned sure that the 200 is far more protective. As an example I took a slap shot to the head, above the cage, and felt nothing. The helmet was able to absorb the impact and dissipate the force. I’ve hit the boards a couple weeks of times, and felt little. I’m sure the 4500 would not have absorbed the shock based on knocks I experienced when wearing it as the foam is pretty hard and dense. I don’t know if the 200 offers more protection from rapid deceleration were I to slam my head at high speed into the boards for example, but my experience is that it does offer significantly more protection against impacts. However, I suspect it does offer protection against deceleration, but only partially for obvious reasons. 

As for the suggestion that a poor helmet is best as it makes you more alert, I had a headache for several days when a big player going at high speed skated directly into me head on whilst I was nowhere near the puck, and not expecting to be floored. I recently went over when chasing someone with the puck, and he deliberately stopped in a brace for impact stance, not a lot I could do about that. 

[chippa13 1844]

Helmets protect the skull, nothing protects the brain.

[Medichef 7]

Actually, that's not true......fluid for cushioning (as in hydration and cerebrospinal fluid) and integrity of the organ itself.  

 

Edited April 1, 2019 by Medichef

[flip12 714]

Although @chippa13‘s line would go great in some metal lyrics!

[BenBreeg 493]

It is certainly feasible that a helmet could change the dynamics of how an external force is transferred to the head and thus how the skull interacts with the brain, it seems those differences might be more a mathematical exercise and have little overall effect. 

I have worked in medical device product development for almost 20 years.  Even there clinical trial results can be so borderline that many intelligent people can draw different conclusions.  And by intelligent people I don’t mean the media.

[shoot_the_goalie 281]

On 12/6/2017 at 9:45 PM, EBondo said:

Still have yet to sell one at our store.

 

Not to mention, it looks and feels hideous. 

Agreed.  Felt like a football helmet when I tried it on.

[chippa13 1844]

20 hours ago, Medichef said:

Actually, that's not true......fluid for cushioning (as in hydration and cerebrospinal fluid) and integrity of the organ itself.  

 

I love the internet, you can always count on that one guy to be Joe Literal.

[Medichef 7]

Well, I am a medic and this is about brain injury!  Just trying to get people to understand that hydration plays a huge part of it

[218hockey 50]

What the ____? I just purchased a new Bauer RE-AKT. Should I throw it in the garbage?

[IPv6Freely 2092]

8 minutes ago, 218hockey said:

What the ____? I just purchased a new Bauer RE-AKT. Should I throw it in the garbage?

Definitely! 

[Stewie 721]

The biggest error in the testing is still the method in which they are obtaining data. Measuring impact and rotational effects oh Helmets with different shapes using a form with uniform shape just isn’t a good method, unless something has changed since I last looked at it. This is why standardized testing methods exist. 

Keep your re-akt, so long as it’s tbe helmet that best fits your head 

[Medichef 7]

More important than any rating system and/or having the "best" in the test.....is a properly fitted helmet.  As long as it's not a bottom-of-the-line HARD foam helmet, a helmet that adjusted, so that the cage actually contacts the hooks on the side with a slight space under the chin cup (even with a mouthpiece), front-to-rear adjusted and circumference around the head adjusted, so that when strapped and the cage is held, that your head should only shift ever so slightly.  Typical example, those players you see with cages that are swinging or the one whose helmet comes down slightly over their eyes...........yeah, that's wrong.  I bought My GIRLS Re-Akts (was really looking at some mid-level IMS), but because they play with their hair in a ponytail and the IMS's have only an adjustable circumference, when I held the cage, up and down was fine, but side-to-side had excessive movement.  The Re-Akt with the occipital lock at the rear that adjusts to the occipital bone at the back of the skull, it literally locks the helmet from front-back movement.  GREAT helmet and cool, too.  But, if you don't want it..................

Edited April 12, 2019 by Medichef

[IPv6Freely 2092]

All stuff we've been over in this thread a thousand times. Even if you put any more than 0% stock in the VT study, it should be at the absolute bottom of the list of priorities when selecting a bucket. Just a bit after color. If it's a tie-breaker for you after all other criteria has already been considered, then have at it. 

[Medichef 7]

Color!  LOL!

 

[BenBreeg 493]

Intresting that while pointing out one (potential) shortcoming in their test methodology claims are bring made that while may sound common sense are likewise backed up by no data (or at least no data presented).