title: Use of agar/glycerol and agar/glycerol/water as a translucent brain simulant for ballistic testing.
abstract: The suitability of agar/glycerol/water and agar/glycerol mixtures as brain simulants was investigated. Test specimens (n=15) (50x27×37mm) were fabricated for these different mixtures and conditioned to 12°C, 22°C, and 26°C prior to testing. For comparison, fresh deer brain specimens (n=20) were sourced and prepared to the same dimensions as the agar/glycerol(/water) mixtures and conditioned to 12°C and 37°C. High impact tests were carried out with a 0.22-caliber air rifle pellet and a high-speed camera was used to record the projectile as it passed through the specimens, allowing for energy loss and vertical displacement velocity calculation. Although the agar/glycerol/water mixture presented with similar vertical expansion and contraction of the specimens to the warm and cold deer brains, a two-fold decrease of the vertical expansion and contraction was noticed with the agar/glycerol specimens. Also considerably less extrusion of this mixture out of the exit and entry sides after specimen penetration was observed. Of the simulants tested, agar/glycerol/water was the most suitable brain simulant for ballistic testing and impact studies.
authors.affiliation: Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand. Electronic address: falland.ohio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Falland-Cheung
authors.affiliation: Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
authors.forename: J Neil
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Waddell
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Milad Soltanipour
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lazarjan
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Mark C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jermy
authors.affiliation: Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Taylor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.affiliation: Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Darryl
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Brunton
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain; D003670:Deer; D044709:Forensic Ballistics; D005990:Glycerol; D020197:Head Injuries, Penetrating; D008422:Materials Testing; D008954:Models, Biological; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D000362:Agar; D005990:Glycerol
keywords: Ballistics; Brain simulant; Kinetic energy loss