Problems seeing video? Check for any messages which may indicate that you need to install a media player add-on.

ABOUT PHPS

The Phillips Head Protection System (PHPS) is a revolutionary advance in head protection. It has the potential to improve significantly the performance of helmets designed to protect against traumatic head injury arising from motorcycle and motor vehicle accidents, work-related accidents and falls, and sports and recreational pursuits.

The inspiration The inventor of the PHPS, Dr Ken Phillips, looked to nature for his inspiration. He realised that although the thick bone of the skull provides much of the direct protection against a severe blow, the skin on the outside acts as further protection whenever the head receives an impact. Conventional head protection systems and safety wear only protect against part of the danger from head impacts and thus only address half of the problem.  Current partial solutions Conventional helmets including motorbike helmets provide good protection from impact injuries via a hard shell comprised of a rigid thermoplastic or fibre plus a cushioning layer approximately 30mm thick.  These aspects remain vital for head safety and protection against linear brain injury.

 However, they are effective in diffusing only the linear forces and provide no intrinsic protection against the even more important area of rotational injury from head accidents which causes severe and untreatable brain damage.

The PHPS enhancement

PHPS enhances traditional helmet design by adding a lubricated flexible membrane over the outside of the helmet.  The lubricant and elastic quality of the PHPS membrane on a crash helmet decreases this rotational force and reduces its effect by over 60% in the critical milliseconds following a blow, significantly reducing the head trauma and reducing the risk of traumatic brain injury. The PHPS high-tech polymer membrane was developed together with a specially designed lubricant. The membrane is designed to slip in a controlled manner over the inner shell of the helmet.

In the case of a motorcycle helmet, at the point when a helmet hits the road and during the critical milliseconds following that impact the PHPS membrane essentially forms an additional interface between the helmet and the tarmac.  It decreases the friction of the helmet surface by moving and sliding over the hard shell, and the rider’s head therefore slips and slides over the road surface instead of sharply and immediately twisting around.