Effect of blasts on subject-specific computational models of skin and bone sections at various locations on the human body

Arnab Chanda; Rebecca Graeter; Vinu Unnikrishnan; Arnab Chanda; Rebecca Graeter; Vinu Unnikrishnan

doi:10.3934/matersci.2015.4.425

AIMS Materials Science

2015, Volume 2, Issue 4: 425-447. doi: 10.3934/matersci.2015.4.425

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Research article

Effect of blasts on subject-specific computational models of skin and bone sections at various locations on the human body

1.
Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa AL 35487, USA;
2.
School of Chemical Engineering, Mississipi State University, USA

Received: 15 August 2015 Accepted: 06 November 2015 Published: 12 December 2015

Blast injuries are very common among soldiers deployed in politically unstable regions such as Afghanistan and Iraq, and also in a battle field anywhere in the world. Understanding the mechanics of interaction of blasts with the skin and bone at various parts of the human body is the key to designing effective personal protective equipment (PPE's) which can mitigate blast impacts. In the current work, subject-specific 3D computational models of the skin (with the three layers namely the epidermis, dermis and the hypodermis (muscles)) and bone sections from various parts of the human body (such as the elbow, finger, wrist, cheek bone, forehead, shin etc.) have been developed to study the effect of blast loading. Non-linear material properties have been adopted for the skin and stress impulses at the different skin layers and bone sections are estimated. To date, such an extensive study on the effect of blast loading on the human skin and bone has not been attempted. The results of this study would be indispensable for medical practitioners to understand the effect of blast trauma and plan effective post-traumatic surgical strategies, and also for developing better PPE designs for the military in the future.
- blast,
- skin,
- bone,
- subject-specific,
- computational model
Citation: Arnab Chanda, Rebecca Graeter, Vinu Unnikrishnan. Effect of blasts on subject-specific computational models of skin and bone sections at various locations on the human body[J]. AIMS Materials Science, 2015, 2(4): 425-447. doi: 10.3934/matersci.2015.4.425

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Abstract

Blast injuries are very common among soldiers deployed in politically unstable regions such as Afghanistan and Iraq, and also in a battle field anywhere in the world. Understanding the mechanics of interaction of blasts with the skin and bone at various parts of the human body is the key to designing effective personal protective equipment (PPE's) which can mitigate blast impacts. In the current work, subject-specific 3D computational models of the skin (with the three layers namely the epidermis, dermis and the hypodermis (muscles)) and bone sections from various parts of the human body (such as the elbow, finger, wrist, cheek bone, forehead, shin etc.) have been developed to study the effect of blast loading. Non-linear material properties have been adopted for the skin and stress impulses at the different skin layers and bone sections are estimated. To date, such an extensive study on the effect of blast loading on the human skin and bone has not been attempted. The results of this study would be indispensable for medical practitioners to understand the effect of blast trauma and plan effective post-traumatic surgical strategies, and also for developing better PPE designs for the military in the future.

References

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