Guidelines to inform the generation of clinically-relevant and realistic blast loading conditions for primary blast injury research
Guidelines to inform the generation of clinically-relevant and realistic blast loading conditions for primary blast injury research
'Primary' blast injuries (PBIs) are caused by direct blast wave interaction with the human body, particularly affecting air-containing organs. With continued experimental focus on PBI mechanisms, recently on blast traumatic brain injury, meaningful test outcomes rely on appropriate simulated conditions. Selected PBI predictive criteria (grouped into those affecting the auditory system, pulmonary injuries and brain trauma) are combined and plotted to provide rationale for generating clinically relevant loading conditions. Using blast engineering theory, explosion characteristics including blast wave parameters and fireball dimensions were calculated for a range of charge masses assuming hemispherical surface detonations and compared with PBI criteria. While many experimental loading conditions are achievable, this analysis demonstrated limits that should be observed to ensure loading is clinically relevant, realistic and practical. For PBI outcomes sensitive only to blast overpressure, blast scaled distance was demonstrated to be a useful parameter for guiding experimental design as it permits flexibility for different experimental set-ups. This analysis revealed that blast waves should correspond to blast scaled distances of 1.75<Z<6.0 to generate loading conditions found outside the fireball and of clinical relevance to a range of PBIs. Blast waves with positive phase durations (2-10 ms) are more practical to achieve through experimental approaches, while representing realistic threats such as improvised explosive devices (ie, 1-50 kg trinitrotoluene equivalent). These guidelines can be used by researchers to inform the design of appropriate blast loading conditions in PBI experimental investigations.
biophysics, medical education & training, medical physics, neurological injury, protocols & guidelines, trauma management
Denny, Jack
7bd3e650-6c4e-4149-b408-2166e377b216
Dickinson, Alexander
10151972-c1b5-4f7d-bc12-6482b5870cad
Langdon, Genevieve
e020bd05-af3f-46bb-be64-948106134438
2021
Denny, Jack
7bd3e650-6c4e-4149-b408-2166e377b216
Dickinson, Alexander
10151972-c1b5-4f7d-bc12-6482b5870cad
Langdon, Genevieve
e020bd05-af3f-46bb-be64-948106134438
Denny, Jack, Dickinson, Alexander and Langdon, Genevieve
(2021)
Guidelines to inform the generation of clinically-relevant and realistic blast loading conditions for primary blast injury research.
BMJ Military Health, [bmjmilitary-2021-001796].
(doi:10.1136/bmjmilitary-2021-001796).
Abstract
'Primary' blast injuries (PBIs) are caused by direct blast wave interaction with the human body, particularly affecting air-containing organs. With continued experimental focus on PBI mechanisms, recently on blast traumatic brain injury, meaningful test outcomes rely on appropriate simulated conditions. Selected PBI predictive criteria (grouped into those affecting the auditory system, pulmonary injuries and brain trauma) are combined and plotted to provide rationale for generating clinically relevant loading conditions. Using blast engineering theory, explosion characteristics including blast wave parameters and fireball dimensions were calculated for a range of charge masses assuming hemispherical surface detonations and compared with PBI criteria. While many experimental loading conditions are achievable, this analysis demonstrated limits that should be observed to ensure loading is clinically relevant, realistic and practical. For PBI outcomes sensitive only to blast overpressure, blast scaled distance was demonstrated to be a useful parameter for guiding experimental design as it permits flexibility for different experimental set-ups. This analysis revealed that blast waves should correspond to blast scaled distances of 1.75<Z<6.0 to generate loading conditions found outside the fireball and of clinical relevance to a range of PBIs. Blast waves with positive phase durations (2-10 ms) are more practical to achieve through experimental approaches, while representing realistic threats such as improvised explosive devices (ie, 1-50 kg trinitrotoluene equivalent). These guidelines can be used by researchers to inform the design of appropriate blast loading conditions in PBI experimental investigations.
Text
Accepted Manuscript
- Accepted Manuscript
Restricted to Repository staff only
Request a copy
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 28 April 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 24 May 2021
Published date: 2021
Additional Information:
Publisher Copyright:
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords:
biophysics, medical education & training, medical physics, neurological injury, protocols & guidelines, trauma management
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 449932
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/449932
ISSN: 2633-3775
PURE UUID: 94f46110-e5f1-4533-a064-0b55e82bb651
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 25 Jun 2021 16:33
Last modified: 06 Jun 2024 02:03
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Genevieve Langdon
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics
