Concussion reduction gel

A concussion is the bruising of the brain caused when the brain hits the inside of the skull. Though the brain is well supported by the cerebral spinal fluid it is still vulnerable to damage caused by impacts. Rotational forces can also damage the brainstem.

My concept is to reduce these types of injuries by rapidly changing the viscosity of the fluid surrounding the brain. To do this I would implant a series of thin plastic strips along the inside on the skull. Each strip would contain a fast acting concentrated gelling agent; much like that made by the Hagfish. The strip would also contain a time-released enzyme specifically tailored to dissolve the gel. The system would be controlled with a microchip containing a series of accelerometers and would work just like an airbag bag system. When the sensors detected a shock or sudden rotational force capable of causing damage it would trigger the release of the gelling agent and time delayed dissolving enzyme.

Following information from Cortex Phatmaceuticals

Traumatic Brain Injury Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an injury to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain. The injury is not degenerative or congenital in nature and is caused by an external physical force. There is a wide range of injuries with this disorder from mild, with only a brief loss of consciousness, to severe, resulting in life-long coma. The injury may be focal or diffuse, closed or penetrating. TBI is the leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults. People over the age of 75 have the highest rate of TBI, with falls being the main cause. Young adults have the next highest rate, with transportation being the most common cause. Finally, the third-highest rate of TBI is that of children under the age of 5 years, with their most common causes being falls and motor vehicle accidents. In the U.S., the prevalence of TBI is 5.3 million and there is an incidence of over 1.7 million cases per year.