A Method for Determining Backface Signatures of Soft Body Armors.

摘要

The Law Enforcement Assistance Administration is sponsoring a program to develop improved lightweight, inconspicuous armor that would protect the body from .22-caliber and .38-caliber bullets fired from handguns. Many factors must be considered in the selection of materials to be used in such armor. When high-speed projectiles strike flexible armor materials but do not penetrate, these materials deform quite readily and transmit a large amount of energy to the tissues directly beneath the point of impact. The goal of this study was to develop a method to characterize this deformation of 'backface signature' and relate it to tissue damage. Through the use of high-speed photography of backlighted gelatin blocks, the backface signatures of the .22-caliber and .38-caliber missiles were defined and related to tissue response. By increasing this data base, a predictive model relating the physical measures of backface signature to the physiological effects could be achieved, greatly reducing the cost of armor evaluation. (Author)