ICD Protection for Sports

ICD Protection

by Good Dog - 2016-10-21 14:19:22

I am sorry that I am unable to help with finding custom protection for your ICD. I do think it is doable. However, I just want to encourage you to go for it! When younger (in my 30's) I played very competitive basketball and baseball within 6 months of getting my pacemaker.  I have continued to live my life for 30 years now as if I do not have a PM. Perhaps I have been fortunate that I have not had any significant problems as a result of ignoring some of the warnings. I think that if I had problems as a result of doing something that I really enjoyed, I don't think that I would have regreted it. 

While you do need to use some common sense, I just think that it is important to live your life to the fullest. You get only one chance at this and you'll only be young once!

Sincerely,

David

paceguard

by Tracey_E - 2016-10-21 15:31:15

Check out these shirts, designed by a member here. I've seen them in person, extremely well made. 

http://www.paceguard.com/

That said, a direct hit is the main thing to avoid so I would imagine your chest protector will be sufficient. 

Rugby shirt

by marylandpm - 2016-10-21 15:52:32

a company call Gilbert sell rugby shirts for women that offers some protection however the largest size might be to small for you. It was to small for me. 

Jack

You are looking for protection from...

by donr - 2016-10-23 09:58:36

...a low speed, heavy bullet.  Look toward the principles used for police protective vests & military body armor, not rugby & other sports protective shirts.

I did some Googling on the speed of slap shots from attacking offensive players - You are looking for protection from a 5 ounce, hard rubber, 110 mile per hour projectile - all concentrated on one spot about the size of a business card. 

I'm not going to bore you w/ all the calculations of how much energy is dissapated by your current protection, but it's pretty darned great - why else would you wear all that heavy, thick, awkward, all-encompassing body armor.  Look at the protection it gives your throat & lower face.  Look at the articulated padding covering the upper chest, sternum & the articulated shoulder joints that allow the shoulder to move forward & backward.  And that's all for a normal human w/o a device located there that is more vulnerable to sudden, violent , high energy damage. 

Consider what would happen to you & your ICD, should you take a solid, direct hit on the device.  First of all, it would hurt like H..e..double hockey sticks! (Couldn't resist the simile - the Devil made me do it!) I could not imagine the pain of being whacked in my PM by something going that fast. Second, there is a good chance that it could do severe damage to the leads - they pass from the PM case, ACROSS a rib, through a small space between that rib & the collar bone & into a vein.  There are already vulnerabilities involved in  that arrangement from the leads getting crushed in people where that space is smaller than usual.  It's sorta like a backsmith whacking a horseshoe on an anvil w/ a heavy hammer.   Then the PM case is sitting atop a rib - another potential hammer/pm/anvil situation.

You are looking at the same analysis that police body armor designers use in deciding where to place protection from incoming bullets.  Also the same compromises they must make to design something that allows the wearer to move & function normally while wearing it.  Seems to me you already have done that analysis, since you asked that question.  You have identified a greater vulnerability in that one spot & want to protect against it.

It wil take some experiment, but I would suggest talking to someone who can incorporate a sheet of stiff material that will NOT "Dish" in under impact & will cause the puck to deflect off the point off impact.  That says the plate should be convex outward, about 6 inches in diameter, at least as stiff as US 12 gage steel & placed on the OUTSIDE of the padding, but under the cloth covering. Yes, it will be a bit heavy, but who will notice a couple extra ounces when you already weigh about as much as a medium tank.

So, where do you go for the job?  Any good sheet metal shop should be capable of fabricating the metal plate.  A boat repair shop would be the answer if you want to go w/ fiberglass.  A place that makes awnings or does boat upholstery or custom car seat work could fit it to a standard goalie's padding.

Have fun!

Donr