Historically, the rear seat has been considered safer compared to the front seat for all restrained occupants; however, studies have found that the front seat in newer vehicles might be safer for older adults than the rear seat. While adults make up only 19% of rear seat occupants in frontal crashes, they make up 48% of fatalities (Tatem and Gabler, 2019). The rate of rear-seat occupancy by adults is expected to increase due to the use of ride share services and the potential of autonomous vehicles. Minimal research has been done to assess rear-seat occupant protection for a mid-sized adult male. Submarining, in which the lap belt slips off of the pelvis and directly loads the abdomen, is of particular concern as a restraint-based injury mechanism of the abdomen. The objective of this study is to investigate submarining protection and abdominal injury risk for rear-seated mid-sized male occupants in frontal crashes and to assess the biofidelity of two anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) with respect to submarining response when compared to post-mortem human surrogates (PMHS). Twenty-four frontal crash sled tests were conducted with the THOR-50M and Hybrid III 50th-percentile male ATDs in three crash conditions and seven modern vehicles. The vehicles included a minivan, an SUV, 3 compact SUVs, and 2 sedans from the US vehicle fleet (model years 2017-2018). Four vehicles had conventional restraints (ie. 3-point belt with retractor at the shoulder) in the rear seat and three vehicles had advanced restraints (ie. 3-point belts with a pretensioner and load limiter at the retractor). Two of the crash conditions were vehicle-specific pulses: NCAP85 (ΔV = 56 kph) and Scaled (ΔV = 32 kph). The final pulse was a Generic (ΔV = 32 kph) pulse, created by averaging all seven Scaled pulses. Matched PMHS tests were conducted on four of the vehicles in the NCAP85 condition. Two tests were conducted for each vehicle with 8 PMHS for a total of 8 sled tests. The occurrence of submarining was identified and assessed for severity by: symmetry of lap belt slip, degree of abdominal loading, and forward excursion of the pelvis. Pelvis and lap-belt kinematics were assessed for the matched NCAP85 tests to identify trends with respect to submarining. Damage to the abdomen, pelvis, and lumbar spine of the PMHS was identified during post-test autopsy. The Hybrid III did not submarine in any test, but the THOR submarined in 16/24 tests. Three PMHS underwent submarining in 2/4 vehicles, and the THOR submarined in 3/4 vehicles in the matched NCAP85 tests. Three PMHS did not undergo submarining but sustained pelvis fractures at lap belt loads of 7.4 kN and higher, and damage to the abdominal viscera occurred regardless of submarining occurrence. Pelvis and lap-belt kinematics revealed the complex nature of the interactions of the occupant and the restraints within each vehicle environment, but did not clearly differentiate between submarining and non-submarining tests. The Hybrid III was not able to predict submarining risk for the PMHS in the rear seat environment. While the THOR underwent submarining, it was not perfect in predicting submarining risk. Pelvis geometry, lap belt engagement, and other factors contributed to the differences in submarining between the two ATDs and the PMHS. Restraint type was not indicative of whether or not the THOR or PMHS would submarine. Many other factors in the rear seat environments of these vehicles likely contribute in combination to the effectiveness of submarining prevention and occupant protection in the rear seat. This study provides information regarding submarining and abdominal injury for three surrogate types, two crash severities, and seven modern, real-world vehicle environments. Ultimately, this study found substantive gaps in occupant protection in the rear seats of modern vehicles for mid-sized adult male occupants. Tatem, W. M., and Gabler, H. C. (2019). Differential fatality risk between rear and front seat passenger vehicle occupants in frontal crashes. In Proceedings of the 2019 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury (pp. 554–560). / Doctor of Philosophy / Historically, the rear seat has been considered safer than the front seat for restrained occupants in frontal crashes. However, with advances in safety systems for the front seat, studies have found that the front seat might be safer for older adult occupants. The objective of this study is to investigate submarining protection and abdominal injury risk for rear-seated mid-sized male occupants in frontal crashes. Submarining occurs when the lap belt slips off of the pelvis and directly loads the abdomen, potentially producing severe abdominal injuries. Twenty-four sled tests were conducted with the THOR-50M and Hybrid III 50th-percentile male anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) in three crash conditions and seven modern vehicles. The vehicles selected included a minivan, SUVs, compact SUVs, and sedans from the US vehicle fleet. Three of the vehicles had advanced restraints in the rear seat and four had conventional restraints. The three crash conditions were a generic low speed test and a low and high-speed vehicle-specific crash pulse. Eight tests were conducted with eight different post-mortem human surrogates on a subset of four vehicles (2 with advanced restraints, 2 with conventional restraints) using the high-speed crash condition. The Hybrid III never submarined, but the THOR submarined in 16 out of 24 tests (5 out of 7 vehicles). Three out of eight PMHS submarined, in two of the four vehicles. Three heavier PMHS sustained pelvis fractures, and all but one PMHS had sustained damage to the abdominal viscera. Restraint type was not an indicator of submarining risk in the rear seat, suggesting that other seat and vehicle design variables contribute to submarining risk. Comparison of the responses of the ATDs with the PMHS suggests that the THOR is a more reasonable surrogate than the Hybrid III for submarining assessment in the rear seat. Inclusion of data from other body regions is necessary to make a definitive determination of the appropriate ATD for the assessment of occupant protection for a mid-sized male in the rear seat during frontal crashes. Overall, this study suggests that protection against submarining and injury to the pelvis and abdomen for mid-sized male passengers in the rear seat of modern vehicles in the US fleet could be improved.

Frontal motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) account for the majority of injuries and fatalities in MVCs according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting Systems (FARS). One of the most commonly injured regions of the body during MVCs is the thorax. While there are fewer adult passengers riding in the rear seat compared to the front seat, the number of adults in the rear seat may increase dramatically in the near future with the rise of ridesharing services and highly automated vehicles (HAVs). With the increase in exposure for adults riding in the rear seat, the safety of these passengers needs to be evaluated. Previous research has shown that occupant protection in the rear seat is disproportionately lower than that of the front seat in modern vehicles due to the focus on front seat occupants in both regulatory and market-driven crash tests. This has resulted in many of the occupant safety systems, e.g., pretensioners (PT), load limiters (LL), and airbags, being widely available in the front seat, but sparsely available in the rear seat. Anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) have been developed to investigate occupant safety during frontal MVCs and can be utilized in the investigation of rear seat occupant injuries. However, the biofidelity and injury risk criteria used for these ATDs has only been validated when seated in the front seat. To validate the response and injury risk predictions of existing frontal ATDs in the rear seat it is necessary to generate new biomechanical data in the rear seat of modern vehicles. The purpose of this work is to quantify the biomechanical responses of two frontal ATDs, i.e., the Hybrid III and THOR-50M 50th percentile male ATDs, and 50th percentile male post mortem human surrogates (PMHS) seated in the rear seat of modern vehicles, which have various seat geometries and restraint types, during frontal MVCs. Emphasis is placed on comparisons between the thoracic responses of the three human surrogates e.g., thoracic deflection time histories, and thoracic injury risks, i.e., ATD injury risk prediction versus instances of PMHS injuries. A series of twenty-four frontal sled tests were first conducted with the HIII and THOR-50M ATDs seated in the rear seats of seven vehicle test bucks with varying seat geometries and two different restraint types. Three vehicles had advanced restraints while four had conventional restraints. Three different crash pulses were used derived from vehicle specific US New Car Assessment Program frontal crash data: Scaled (32kph), Generic (32kph), and NCAP85 (56kph). Thoracic injury metrics were not exceeded in the lower severity pulses for either ATD but were exceeded during some of the high severity tests. A matched comparison analysis between a front and rear seated Hybrid III 50th percentile male ATD is presented second that highlights the disparities between front and rear seat iii occupant safety of modern vehicles during frontal MVCs. The Hybrid III ATD data were used for this comparison. Thoracic injury risk was found to be higher for the rear seated HIII across all vehicles, while thoracic acceleration was lower in the rear than the front for some vehicles. PMHS thoracic responses and injury risk equations were then evaluated in four of the vehicles used for the ATD tests using the high severity sled pulse, i.e., NCAP85 (56kph). Thoracic acceleration and normalized deflection values were higher in vehicles with conventional restraints, and the location of maximum deflection was always inboard of the sternum. The resulting thoracic injuries ranged from AIS 3 to AIS 5. Additionally, there were a larger average number of rib fractures in vehicles with conventional restraints versus advanced restraints. A multi-point deflection injury risk equation predicted injury the best. However the less censored rib fracture data that were obtained suggest that all three of the injury equations evaluated could be improved. Lastly, the PMHS data were used to assess the similarities in thoracic response between the ATDs and PMHS. An objective rating metric was used for the response comparison. The HIII had a slightly better average score than the THOR-50M; however, the THOR-50M had a more biofidelic kinematic response during the tests. This analysis furthers the understanding of the effect of different occupant protection systems on thoracic injury risk in a rear seat environment and the biofidelity of frontal 50th percentile male ATDs in the rear seat. / Doctor of Philosophy / Frontal motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) account for the majority of injuries and fatalities in MVCs according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting Systems (FARS), a nationwide census of fatal injuries suffered during crashes. One of the most commonly injured regions of the body during MVCs is the thorax i.e. the chest. While there are fewer adult passengers riding in the rear seat compared to the front seat, the number of adults in the rear seat may increase dramatically in the near future with the rise of ridesharing services and in the future, the rise of highly automated vehicles (HAVs commonly called "driverless cars"). The safety of adult rear seat passengers needs to be evaluated due to the potential increase in occupancy rates. Previous research has shown that occupant protection in the rear seat is disproportionately lower than that of the front seat in modern vehicles. This is likely due to the focus on front seat occupants in both regulatory tests and market-driven crash tests such as the New Car Assessment Program and IIHS frontal overlap tests. This has resulted in many of the advanced occupant protection systems being widely available in the front seat, but sparsely available in the rear seat. Anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs), i.e., crash test dummies, have been developed to investigate occupant safety during frontal MVCs and can be utilized in the investigation of rear seat occupant injuries. However, the biofidelity (similarity of ATD response to a human surrogate) and injury risk criteria used for these ATDs has only been validated when seated in the front seat. To validate the thoracic response and injury risk predictions of the existing frontal ATDs when seated in the rear seat it is necessary to generate new biomechanical data in the rear seat of modern vehicles. The purpose of this work is to quantify the thoracic response of two current 50th percentile male frontal impact ATDs, i.e., the Hybrid III and THOR-50M, and similarly sized male post mortem human surrogates (PMHS) seated in the rear seat during a frontal MVC. Several vehicles were used and chosen to represent various seat geometries and restraint types. There are two restraint types in the rear seat within this body of work, conventional and advanced. A conventional restraint consists of a three point seat belt, while an advanced restraint consists of a three point seat belt with additional safety features installed. Emphasis is placed on the injury risk prediction from the ATD versus actual instances of injuries from the PMHS. A series of frontal sled tests were first performed with the Hybrid III and THOR-50M ATDs. Three different crash pulses derived from vehicle specific US New Car Assessment Program frontal crash data were used: Scaled (32kph), Generic (32kph), and NCAP85 (56kph). v These tests showed that the established injury metrics for the two ATDs were exceeded in some of the high severity tests. A matched comparison analysis between a front and rear seated Hybrid III 50th percentile male ATD is presented and highlights the disparities between front and rear seat occupant safety of modern vehicles during frontal MVCs. The thoracic injury risk was found to be higher in the rear compared to the front for all vehicles. A series of frontal sled tests were then performed with the mid-sized male PMHS using the high severity sled pulse (NCAP85) and four of the vehicles from the ATD tests. The thoracic deflections for the PMHS were normalized by the surrogate chest depth in order to compare them between different sized surrogates, and were found to be higher in vehicles with conventional restraints. All PMHS had severity thoracic injuries. Additionally, there were a larger average number of rib fractures in vehicles with conventional restraints versus advanced restraints. Finally, the thoracic response of each ATD was compared to the PMHS to further the understanding of the effect of different occupant protection systems on thoracic injury risk in a rear seat environment and investigate rear seat biofidelity of each ATD. The THOR-50M had a more biofidelic kinematic response, while the Hybrid III matched the PMHS thoracic deflections and accelerations more accurately when compared with an objective rating metric. The comparison between surrogate responses furthers the understanding of 50th percentile male ATD biofidelity, the ATD injury risk prediction capabilities, and effects of different occupant protection systems on thoracic injuries in the rear seat.

No description available.

abstract: Silicone compounds have a very low surface energy due to highly flexible Si-O-Si backbone and large number of –CH3 groups, but these compounds are extremely hydrophobic and thus have limited applications in aqueous formulations. Modification of such silicone compounds by grafting hydrophilic chains provides a wide range of silicone products called "Silicone Surfactants". Silicone surfactants are surface active agents which get adsorbed at the air-water interface thereby, reducing the interfacial tension. Some of the larger applications of silicone surfactant are in the manufacture of plastic foams, in personal care products and as spreading and wetting agents (Hill, R.M, 2002). In this thesis, a series of silicone surfactant graft copolymers were synthesized via hydrosilylation reaction. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) of different chain length was grafted to a hydrophobic Poly(methylhydrosiloxane) (PMHS) backbone to improve the final hydrophilicity. Also, a positively charged quaternary ammonium salt (allyltriethylammonium bromide) was grafted to the PMHS backbone. The objective of this thesis was to synthesize polymers in predefined ratios of the above mentioned side groups and utilize these polymers to- 1) Study the effect of PEG chain length and its composition on the hydrophilicity of the polymer. 2) Study the effect of PEG: ammonium salt ratio on the surface tension of aqueous systems. Analysis of FT-IR and 1H NMR spectra of the polymers confirmed the predicted structure. The absence of characteristic Si-H absorbance peak at 2160 cm-1 in FT-IR spectra indicates consumption of silane groups along the polymer backbone. The actual moles of the side chain grafted on the backbone are calculated by 1H NMR peak integration. The results of contact angle studies indicated an increase in hydrophilicity with an increase in the composition of PEG in molecule. A 2*2 factorial DOE analysis reported that the fraction of Si-H bonds converted to PEG grafts was the critical factor towards increasing the hydrophilicity (p value of 0.015). Surface tension studies report that the air-water interfacial tension of the synthesized polymers is between 28mN/m – 45mN/m. The amount of Si-H was concluded to be the deciding factor in lowering the surface tension. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Chemical Engineering 2016

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Nearly 27,000 vehicle occupants are killed annually in the United States, with passenger car and light truck occupants amassing 25,000 of these. Over 50% of passenger car and light truck occupant fatalities are due to frontal crashes. Although advancements in safety technology have reduced the number of fatalities and injuries, motor vehicle collisions are still a major issue in the United States. Continued development of computational models and biofidelic anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) necessitates benchmarking of current surrogates and further analysis of an occupant's biomechanical response in automobile collisions. This thesis presents data from low-speed frontal sled tests performed with human volunteers, a Hybrid III 50th percentile male ATD, and post mortem human surrogates (PMHSs). The first study sought to investigate the effects of muscle bracing by human volunteers. The second study sought to compare the responses of the relaxed and braced volunteers in the first study to those of the Hybrid III and PMHS subjects. Overall, these two studies provide novel biomechanical data that can be used to refine and validate computational models and ATDs used to assess injury risk in automotive collisions. The third study was focused on quantifying the ability for children to swing a sword-like toy. Over 200,000 toy-related injuries occur every year in the United States. Currently, data is unavailable with regard to sword-like toys. Incorporating the knowledge gained by this study will allow manufacturers to reduce the inherent risks associated with their products as well as market them to the correct target age groups. / Master of Science

Le sous-marinage, apparaissant lorsque la ceinture pelvienne glisse au-dessus des épines iliaques antérosupérieures (E.I.A.S.) du bassin, est la cause principale des lésions abdominales sévères. Ce phénomène, conditionné par l’angle relatif entre la ceinture pelvienne et le bassin, est fortement lié à la cinématique du bassin au cours du choc. Cette dernière dépend des efforts et moments qui y sont appliqués, provenant principalement de la colonne lombaire, des hanches, du contact avec l’assise du siège ainsi que de la ceinture pelvienne. L’objectif est de caractériser le comportement de la population au regard du sousmarinage. Cela passe par l’identification des paramètres individuels influents sur le phénomène et par l’étude de leur distribution sur la population. Pour cela, neuf essais sur sujets humains post-mortem (S.H.P.M.) ont été effectués dans un environnement simplifié. Trois configurations de choc, chacune testée sur trois sujets, ont été définies. Les résultats ont ensuite servi de base pour la validation d’un modèle éléments finis d’être humain. Le modèle a été amélioré de façon globale vis-à-vis des corridors définis par les réponses S.H.P.M. et personnalisé au niveau de la géométrie, de la répartition des masses et du comportement de la colonne lombaire pour correspondre à chacun des neuf sujets. La personnalisation de ces paramètres a permis de reproduire les comportements observés en essais. Enfin, le modèle a été utilisé dans une étude numérique pour approfondir la compréhension de la cinématique du bassin, d’une part, et identifier les paramètres individuels influençant le sous-marinage, d’autre part. La répartition des masses, la raideur de la colonne lombaire et l’orientation initiale du bassin influencent l’apparition du sous-marinage. L’ouverture des ailes iliaques, la position des E.I.A.S par rapport au point H, la profondeur de l’échancrure iliaque et l’épaisseur des tissus entre le bassin et la ceinture jouent aussi un rôle. / Submarining occurs in frontal crashes when the lap belt slides over the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) and is the principal cause of AIS 3+ abdominal injuries. Submarining is the consequence of the pelvis kinematics relative to the lap belt, driven by the equilibrium of forces and moments applied to the pelvis. The four main components playing a role in the pelvis kinematics are the lumbar spine, the hips, the seat pan and the lap belt. The purpose is to characterize the population behavior regarding submarining. This requires to identify individual parameters having an effect on submarining and to examine their distribution among the population. A nine post-mortem human subject (PMHS) sled test campaign was carried out on a simplified environment. Three test configurations were defined. Each configuration was realized on three PMHS. The test results were used as reference data for a human finite element model validation. The model was improved to better fit the PMHS corridor responses and then personalized regarding the geometry, the mass distribution and the lumbar spine behavior to obtain nine models matching each PMHS. The personalized models responses were consistent with the PMHS ones. Finally, the human model was used in a numerical study. The numerical study was aimed at deepen the understanding of the pelvis kinematics on the one hand, and investigate the influence of several individual parameters on submarining on the other hand. The mass distribution, the lumbar spine stiffness and the initial pelvis orientation have revealed an influence on the submarining observation. The iliac wing angle, the position of the ASIS relative to the H-point, the iliac notch depth and the thickness of the soft tissues between the pelvis and the lap belt were also identified to have an effect on submarining.

Dans le but d’enrichir la modélisation virtuelle d’êtres humains et de mieux comprendre la biomécanique de certaines parties du squelette, ce travail propose une analyse comparative des propriétés histologiques et mécaniques de deux os appendiculaires fonctionnellement opposés : l’humérus et le fémur. La campagne a été réalisée à partir d’échantillons provenant de quatre SHPM embaumés (Sujet Humain Post-Mortem), de sexe masculin. Une étude géométrique en 3D a débuté l’expérimentation. Elle a été suivie par une analyse histomorphométrique de 153 photographies réalisées à partir de la face antéromédiale du cortex diaphysaire, à quatre niveaux de hauteur et à trois niveaux de profondeur. Des essais mécaniques ont ensuite été effectués sur 28 éprouvettes d’os cortical non congelé, provenant du même site anatomique. L’expérimentation s’est déroulée sur machine conventionnelle de traction. Elle comportait des essais en traction/compression et des essais de cyclage en traction dans le domaine élastique, à la vitesse de 0,05 mm/mn, jusqu’à rupture. Une loi d’endommagement a également été élaborée. Ces travaux ont montré que ces deux os offrent un comportement différent. L’humérus s’avère être moins résistant et plus raide que le fémur. Son endommagement intervient plus rapidement. Les valeurs mécaniques relevées sont en rapport avec la densité et la taille des ostéones actifs, ainsi qu’avec les caractéristiques de la porosité Haversienne. Les différences de comportement mécanique relevées s’expliquent par l’adaptation microscopique du tissu osseux cortical aux contraintes subies par un os porteur ou non-porteur. Les variations interindividuelles observées sont fonction de son état physiologique. / With the aim of enriching the virtual modelisation of human beings and understanding better the biomechanics of some parts of the skeleton, this work proposes a comparative analysis of histological and mechanical attributes of two functionally opposed appendicular bones: femur and humerus. The campaign has been done with samples coming from four embalmed PMHS (post mortem human subjects) of the male gender. A 3D geometric study started the experiment. It was followed by an histomorphometric analysis of 153 pictures carried out on the anteromedial face of the diaphyseal cortex at four levels of height and three levels of depth. Mechanical tests were then done on 28 specimens of non frozen cortical bone coming from the same anatomic site. The experiment took place on a conventional traction machine. It consisted of traction/compression tests and cycling tests under traction in the elastic zone, at the speed of 0.05 mm/mn until yield point. A damage law has also been elaborated. These studies have shown that these two bones offer a different behaviour. The humerus bone turns out to be less resistant and stiffer than the femur. It is damaged more quickly. The mechanical values noted are related to the density and the size of active osteons and also to the characteristics of Haversian porosity. The difference of mechanical behavior noticed can be explained by the microscopic adaptation of the cortical bone tissue to the stresses undergone by the bearing and non bearing bones. The inter-individual variations observed are linked to the physiological state of this tissue.

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No description available.