title: Experimental study of the coupling parameters influencing the terminal effects of thoracic blunt ballistic impacts.
abstract: The objective of the study is to better understand how blunt projectile ballistic parameters and material properties influence the events leading to injuries. The present work focuses on lateral thoracic impacts and follows an experimental approach. The projectiles are made with a soft foam nose assembled with a rigid rear plastic part. The dynamic properties of the foams were first determined using the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) system. The impact forces on a rigid wall were then measured to provide reference load data. Lastly, shots were made on isolated thoraxes of porcine cadavers to investigate the response in the vicinity of the impact (wall displacements, rib accelerations and strains, rib fractures). Results show that the severity of the response appears to be mainly correlated with the impulse and with the pre-impact momentum.
authors.affiliation: Nexter - Munitions, 7 route de Guerry, F18023 Bourges Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pavier
authors.affiliation: Univ. Orleans, PRISME, INSA-CVL, EA4229, F45072 Orléans, France. Electronic address: andre.langlet@univ-orleans.fr.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Langlet
authors.affiliation: Nexter - Munitions, 7 route de Guerry, F18023 Bourges Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eches
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées (IRBA), F91220 Brétigny sur Orges, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Prat
authors.affiliation: Univ. Orleans, PRISME, INSA-CVL, EA4229, F45072 Orléans, France.
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bailly
authors.affiliation: DGA-Techniques Terrestres, Rocade est - échangeur de Guerry, F18021 Bourges Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Jacquet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044709:Forensic Ballistics; D007700:Kinetics; D023421:Models, Animal; D012253:Rib Fractures / Q000209:etiology; D013552:Swine; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D054041:Weapons; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Less-lethal projectile; Swine; Thoracic blunt impact; Wound ballistics