As junior hockey camps and youth leagues gear up each season, concerns about traumatic brain injury continue to be top of mind for parents, coaches and players alike. Up until now, helmets have been the best available option at protecting the brain from injury. But what if there was a way to protect the brain from inside the skull? This is the question that inspired a team of doctors to find a solution to help protect the brain from sports-related impacts. "Recognizing the limits of external protective equipment, such as helmets, in preventing movement-related damage to the brain, we looked for a way to reduce brain movement from the inside," explains Dr. Joseph Fisher, anesthesiologist and neuroscientist at the University of Toronto and co-inventor of the Q-Collar technology. Building on the key concept of why brain injuries occur, the doctors reasoned that with a slight increase of blood volume inside the skull caused by gentle compression of the neck veins, they could help reduce the brain's movement when exposed to impact during sports. This led to the creation of a new safety innovation – one that is fitted and worn around the neck and can be used with other sports equipment as an added layer of protection for the brain. Backed by six years of clinical trials and independent research, the device is now receiving widespread attention in the sports world. For example, Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Adam Bighill has been wearing it on the field and hopes young athletes and their parents will pay closer attention to its potential. He encourages parents and coaches interested in keeping young athletes safe while playing sports to review the research that surrounds this new innovation