Lightweight low-profile nine-accelerometer package to obtain head angular accelerations in short-duration impacts

• Published in: Journal of biomechanics Vol. 39; no. 7; pp. 1347 - 1354
• Main Authors: Yoganandan, N., Zhang, J., Pintar, F.A., King Liu, Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2006; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Acceleration; Accelerometers; Angular acceleration; Brain injury; Cadaver; Cadavers; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Head - physiopathology; Head injuries; Head Injuries, Closed - etiology; Head Injuries, Closed - physiopathology; Head Movements; Head trauma; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Kinematics; Miniaturization; Nine-accelerometer package; Ordinary differential equations; Orthopedics; Physical Stimulation - adverse effects; Physical Stimulation - methods; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Stress, Mechanical; Transducers; Angular acceleration; Head trauma; Nine-accelerometer package; Brain injury
• ISSN: 0021-9290; 1873-2380
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2005.03.016

Despite recognizing the importance of angular acceleration in brain injury, computations using data from experimental studies with biological models such as human cadavers have met with varying degrees of success. In this study, a lightweight and a low-profile version of the nine-accelerometer system was developed for applications in head injury evaluations and impact biomechanics tests. The triangular pyramidal nine-accelerometer package (PNAP) is precision-machined out of standard aluminum, is lightweight (65 g), and has a low profile (82 mm base width, 35 mm vertex height). The PNAP assures accurate orthogonal characteristics because all nine accelerometers are pre-aligned and attached before mounting on a human cadaver preparation. The feasibility of using the PNAP in human cadaver head studies is demonstrated by subjecting a specimen to an impact velocity of 8.1 m/s and the resultant angular acceleration peaked at 17 krad/s 2. The accuracy and the high fidelity of the PNAP device at high and low angular acceleration levels were demonstrated by comparing the PNAP-derived angular acceleration data with separate tests using the internal nine-accelerometer head of the Hybrid III anthropomorphic test device. Mounting of the PNAP on a biological specimen such as a human cadaver head should yield very accurate angular acceleration data.