Helmet sensor developer hopes it will be like a pitch count for contact sports [Video]

A technology startup has developed a brain monitor for football, hockey and lacrosse helmets designed to alert coaches when a player suffers a hard impact to the head. Brain Sentry is raising fresh capital to transition the company from research and development mode to focus on marketing and sales.

When a player gets a hit to the head, a light on the sensor flashes to warn the coach that he or she may need to be examined or taken out of the game.

CEO Greg Merrill told MedCity News that it sees the potential for the device to do for contact sports what the pitch count has done for baseball — to track when a player has had enough. But he stressed the monitor is not a diagnostic device.

The company intends to market the monitor to youth football, hockey and lacrosse leagues on a subscription basis for roughly $40 per season. It estimates the …