How Military Technology Became a Pain Relief Patch (The Accidental Breakthrough Nobody Expected)

In a fascinating conversation, Mike Hammond, the founder of Signal Relief, shared the incredible, almost accidental, journey of how a military antenna project evolved into a groundbreaking pain relief patch. This innovative product, which has already sold 800,000 units and garnered attention from the White House, challenges conventional understanding of pain, the human body, and the potential of technology.

The Genesis of an Unlikely Innovation

Mike Hammond, a lifelong entrepreneur with 13 businesses under his belt, recounted his early career, which included building DishOne Satellite into the largest satellite retailer in the United States before selling it to Dish Network in 2012. Following this success, his MBA buddies, many of whom were entrepreneurs and business owners, started calling him with investment opportunities. One such call came from a friend whose grandfather built Marriott Hotels, and who was now running Spectrasymbol, a company specializing in printable electronics for smaller devices like oil rig motherboards or sprinkler systems.

His friend invited him to invest in a new project, originally designed to shrink an 80-pound backpack for Navy SEALs jumping out of planes. In 2012, Navy SEALs were tasked with carrying a five-foot antenna and an 80-pound backpack, a significant burden for those jumping out of aircraft. The Department of Defense sought a way to reduce the weight and size of this equipment. The team claimed to have developed an electrical antenna, a departure from traditional magnetic antennas. Unlike magnetic antennas, which require precise aiming and more power for greater range, electrical antennas operate like a light bulb, broadcasting everywhere. The breakthrough was that this electrical antenna could transmit 300% farther on 1/10th the power. The challenge, however, was that it picked up significantly more noise, making it difficult to transmit a clear signal from point A to point B. The team, however, claimed to have solved this.

To demonstrate their technology, they set up two small antennas, the size of credit cards, on cell phone towers on opposite sides of Heber City. They transmitted ones and zeros across the city, measuring the time it took for the signal to reach the other tower. Then, using two credit card-sized antennas powered by a 9-volt battery, they achieved a 300% faster transmission. This astounding result, initially met with disbelief by engineers, convinced Mike to invest nearly a million dollars.