A small Rochester high-tech company announced Thursday it sold more of its sensors to detect concussions and potential head trauma.
BlackBox Biometrics says this contract with the Department of Defense totals $9.4 million.
Chief Operation Officer Joe Bridgeford told WXXI he needed help from Congresswoman Louise Slaughter to manage the Washington bureaucracy.
"For us as a small business, having her on our team has been very helpful in providing these devices to our servicemembers."
BlackBox’s "Blast Gauge" sensors will go to active-duty servicemembers to try to reduce the risk of traumatic brain injuries. They’ll wear three sensors on their uniforms.
"One on the back of their helmet, one on their shoulder, and one on their chest, so they have three gauges to measure any explosive event that they may be exposed to.”
The servicemember’s sensors are checked on their return.
"When they come back they can get a very objective measure of whether or not someone has had an exposure that needs to be addressed."
Bridgeford told WXXI they sold most of their head trauma detection sensors to the Army.
"We also have been supporting the Marine Corps, Air Force, and to some extent, special operations groups in the Navy. Internationally, we've been in some field studies with units in Afghanistan from Australia."
The company is also working with Britain and Canada to see if the BlastGuard sensors will work for them.
Bridgeford says the DOD contract allows the company to add eight positions to its 15-member workforce.