Device claims to protect athletes’ brains, but records reveal doubts at FDA

October 17, 2025

MRI images of the brain

(Washington Post via MSN) – A C-shaped piece of springy metal coated in plastic that retails for $199, the Q-Collar is designed to apply pressure to the jugular veins, based on the theory that restricting the flow of blood from the skull limits how much the brain can jostle. “Like a seatbelt for your brain,” as Q30 puts it.

Since earning Food and Drug Administration clearance in 2021, Q30 has sold tens of thousands of Q-Collars to athletes as young as 13, and has gained supporters in Congress who are trying to steer the Defense Department to consider the device.

But internal FDA documents show that some of the agency’s reviewers doubted Q-Collar research showed the device offered meaningful protection against brain injury, damage or disease. The agency agreed to clear it, the records show, only after Q30 added language to its owner’s manual stating the device does not prevent concussions and that any claims it protects against long-term cognitive problems have “not been demonstrated.” (Read More)