DESIGN OF PERSONAL AIR BAG SPINAL PROTECTION DEVICE

摘要

Each year there are approximately 11,000 cases of spinal injuries that result in partial or complete paralysis. Significant portions of these cases are the result of sports related injuries that possibly could have been prevented with proper protection. The project undertaken was a preliminary investigation of the feasibility of a personal air bag spinal trauma protection device. A mock torso was constructed with wood, instrumented and subjected to a 1-meter drop. The impact accelerations were measured for trials with and without a prototype air bag attached to the mock torso. Using finite element commercial code ABAQUS/Explicit a model of the mock torso was subjected to a simulated 1-meter drop. The model was refined to match the results from the experimental drops without an air bag. Then the analysis was performed with springs and dampers inserted to simulate the air bag.