St. Thomas Aquinas Football Team Testing Concussion Goggles, First For High School Athletes
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- For the first time ever, high school athletes will be screened for concussions using revolutionary head-wear technology designed to help diagnose traumatic brain injuries on the sidelines.
With one of the country's most prestigious athletic programs, St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Ft. Lauderdale has partnered with the University of Miami's UHealth to give all 250 members of the high school football team a screening with the I-Portal PAS goggle.
"There's widespread awareness that concussions are a serious crisis for our athletes at every level, from professional to youth sports," said UHealth concussion expert Michael Hoffer, M.D. "The goggle helps provide an almost immediate sideline diagnosis of concussion, allowing trainers and medical staff to immediately begin treatment of the athlete."
The goggle has already been used by several professional sports teams, including the NFL.
Dr. Hoffer, professor of otolaryngology and director of the Department of Otolaryngology's Vestibular and Balance Program, was awarded $500,000 by the NFL, Under Armour and General Electric to develop the technology that helps doctors and trainers make an accurate diagnosis about concussions right on the sidelines.
"To have this support from the nation's top high school football program is amazing," Hoffer said. "It will allow us to identify better concussion protocols while ensuring the health of St. Thomas Aquinas' young athletes."
The advanced screenings are expected to provide a baseline for each student athlete in case they get injured during the season.
They're being held Saturday, July 23rd, starting with seniors at 9:15 a.m., and followed by the juniors and JV players after.