Laboratory of Orthopedic Design & Engineering

Project Description: This project looks to compare the response of a neck anthropometric test device (ATD), commonly used as a laboratory representation of a human response to head impacts in American football, to a validated head and neck computational model under both quasi-static and dynamic loading scenarios. By utilizing both experimental and computational methods in laboratory and in OpenSim software, respectively, this work will provide valuable data that will be used to develop a novel sports-specific ATD with greater biofidelity. The development of this device will ultimately lead to the improvement of laboratory testing methods used to evaluate sports protective equipment, as well as enhanced athlete safety in the context of head and neck injury risk in American football.​

Project Description:  There literature for football helmet performance is abundant. However, there is minimal research done on the performance capabilities of the facemask on the football helmet, and which composition of geometry and material renders a player most protected from traumatic head injuries. It has been shown in the literature that quantifying a method to differentiate between different facemask designs cannot be done efficaciously with previous testing methods (Twin drop tower methods, Pneumatic Ram). Additionally, equipment managers must send their facemasks to be reconditioned annually, which results in the destruction of 1% to 9% of all facemasks for a team, a process which can cost reconditioners around $120,000. A new method has been developed to remove the facemask from the helmet-facemask system and individually test the facemask for stiffness values in order to differentiate between facemask design. It is only then that a facemask can be tested for performance qualities. The method described involves a compression test on the facemask with a known input deflection, force, and deflection rate. The system will read the measured lateral and longitudinal deflection at specific time intervals and print these values to the user. A linear regression can be used through the collected data points to estimate a stiffness value for the facemask in order to differentiate different designs. This process keeps the facemask within its elastic range so that resulting permanent deformation is kept within a NOCSAE standard that renders a mask fit to be used in game play. Not only will this device keep the facemask from being discarded after testing, saving costs, the ease of use will be such that a high school or college student can test these facemasks in-house. Finally, the cost of this product will be low to allow for large dissemination ($1000 dollars to produce and sold for $5000). Overall, this new device will save money, time and be able to test facemasks for stiffness values, a valid metric to differentiate between facemask design. Thus, the goal of this project is to build the first working prototype of the facemask tester that meets all the mentioned constraints.