title: On ballistic parameters of less lethal projectiles influencing the severity of thoracic blunt impacts.
abstract: The development and safety certification of less lethal projectiles require an understanding of the influence of projectile parameters on projectile-chest interaction and on the resulting terminal effect. Several energy-based criteria have been developed for chest injury assessment. Many studies consider kinetic energy (KE) or energy density as the only projectile parameter influencing terminal effect. In a common KE range (100-160 J), analysis of the firing tests of two 40 mm projectiles of different masses on animal surrogates has been made in order to investigate the severity of the injuries in the thoracic region. Experimental results have shown that KE and calibre are not sufficient to discriminate between the two projectiles as regards their injury potential. Parameters, such as momentum, shape and impedance, influence the projectile-chest interaction and terminal effect. A simplified finite element model of projectile-structure interaction confirms the experimental tendencies. Within the range of ballistic parameters used, it has been demonstrated that maximum thoracic deflection is a useful parameter to predict the skeletal level of injury, and it largely depends on the projectile pre-impact momentum. However, numerical simulations show that these results are merely valid for the experimental conditions used and cannot be generalised. Nevertheless, the transmitted impulse seems to be a more general factor governing the thorax deflection.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratoire P.R.I.S.M.E., Equipe Dynamique des Matériaux et des Structures, Université d'Orléans , 18 Boulevard Lahitolle, 18020 Bourges , France.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pavier
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Langlet
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eches
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Jacquet
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000818:Animals; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004735:Energy Transfer; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009716:Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013909:Thorax / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: ballistic impact; finite element model; injury criterion; less lethal projectile; thorax