Minnesota HealthSolutions (MHS) proposes to develop an active harness pretensioning system for motor vehicle child safety seats. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children in the United States. Child safety seats are the most effective way to prevent death and serious injury to children in crashes. Many serious child injuries from motor vehicle crashes occur when the child's head travels in the direction of vehicle impact and strikes a surface in the vehicle or moves with high enough acceleration to cause injury. The objective of this proposed project is to develop an advanced child safety seat that provides substantially improved head protection in motor vehicle crashes by controlling head excursion. A prototype seat will be designed, simulated, manufactured, and tested.

Public Health Relevance

Child safety seats are the most effective tool at preventing death and injuries to children in motor vehicle crashes. The societal benefit of the proposed advanced child safety seat is that, if successful, it will improve the effectiveness of child safet seats by reducing the likelihood for head injuries.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Small Business Innovation Research Grants (SBIR) - Phase I (R43)
Project #
1R43HD083878-01A1
Application #
8590601
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-IMST-S (12))
Program Officer
Mann Koepke, Kathy M
Project Start
2014-09-22
Project End
2015-08-31
Budget Start
2014-09-22
Budget End
2015-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
$225,000
Indirect Cost
Name
Minnesota Healthsolutions Corporation
Department
Type
DUNS #
621641237
City
Saint Paul
State
MN
Country
United States
Zip Code
55105