Litigation

Can a redesigned helmet prevent brain injury?

By Michael Kaplen

The brain can be injured in many ways.  Although popular opinion is that direct impact is necessary for injury to the brain, this is not true. Frequently, the brain is injured from indirect forces causing the movement of the brain within the skull.  

One such indirect injury is the blast injury sustained by solders.  Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory investigated the mechanics of how blasts affect the brain to see if they could design a helmet that would provide greater protection to the brain. 

Traditionally, armor design, including helmets, focused on minimizing the force of impacts?either from objects striking the soldier or from the soldier being thrown against hard surfaces. But the new study investigates how shock waves from explosions can flex and deform the skull itself, creating internal pressure on the soft brain tissue. Some current helmet designs that maintain a gap between the skull and the helmet wall actually amplify the pressure from blast waves. The research could lead to improved helmet design that protects from projectiles, impacts, and blast waves.

You can read the full story by clicking here.

Full post as published by Brain Injury News and Information on November 18, 2008 (boomark / email).