Optimizing Helmet Pad Placement Using Computational Predicted Injury Pattern to Reduce Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This effort, motivated and guided by prior simulated injury results of the unprotected head, is to assess and compare helmet pad configurations on the head for the effective mitigation of blast pressure transmission in the brain in multiple blast exposure environments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A finite element model of blast loading on the head with six different helmet pad configurations was used to generate brain model biomechanical responses. The blast pressure attenuation performance of each pad configuration was evaluated by using the calculated pressure exposure fraction in the brain model. Monte Carlo simulations generated repetitive blast cumulative exposures. RESULTS: Significant improvement of a 6-Pad Modified configuration compared to a 6-Pad Baseline configuration indicates the importance of providing protection against the side blast. Both 12-Pad configurations are very effective in mitigating pressure in the brain. Repetitive blast exposure statistics for operational exposures shows that pad configurations with a larger number of pads and smaller gaps between pads perform better than the configurations with a smaller number of pads and larger gaps between pads. CONCLUSIONS: Optimizing helmet pad size and/or placement could provide an improved protection by minimizing the side blast orientation effects and mitigating high-pressure fields in the brain from repeated blast exposures.