Investigation of Blast Wave Propagation: Correlating External Pressures to Brain Injury Predictors
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Date
2014Author
Beaudoin, Judith
Green, Hallie
Henricks, Jonathan
Jones, Samuel
Kennedy, Catherine
Peluso, Julie
Reilly, Michael
Schwartz, Benjamin
Shapiro, Andrew
Yanushevsky, Camilla
Advisor
Yu, Miao
Metadata
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Blast-induced Traumatic Brain Injury (bTBI) is the signature injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars; however, current understanding of bTBI is insufficient. In this study, novel analysis methods were developed to investigate correlations between external pressures and brain injury predictors. Experiments and simulations were performed to analyze placement of helmet-mounted pressure sensors. A 2D Finite Element model of a helmeted head cross-section was loaded with a blast wave. Pressure time-histories for nodes on the inner and outer surfaces of the helmet were cross-correlated to those inside the brain. Parallel physical experiments were carried out with a helmeted headform, pressure sensors, and pressure chamber. These analysis methods can potentially lead to better helmet designs and earlier detection and treatment of bTBI.