次世代頭部ダミーと有限要素モデルを用いた野球ボール衝突時の頭蓋内脳挙動の検討

抄録

The purpose of this study was to examine a mechanism of brain damage during baseball impact based on results of baseball impact experiments using a novel dummy head, and simulations using the finite element head model. In the experiment, a baseball helmet was attached to a novel dummy head, simulating human head structures including skin, skull, falx, tentorium, cerebrospinal fluid and brain parts, and a baseball was hit to the helmeted dummy head at a speed of 80MPH. In addition, a finite element head model with the structure similar to the dummy head was constructed, and baseball collision simulation was carried out. Experimental results showed that linear acceleration responses in the brain was greater than the acceleration measured in the skull. Therefore, the finite element models were used to examine and simulate the stress wave propagation in the intracranial space. As the simulation results, pressure wave propagated in the intracranial space, resulting in alternating positive and negative pressures at the skull-brain interface. This phenomenon was different from the brain deformation in other impact conditions such as football or traffic accident cases. Therefore, a new design philosophy of a helmet which prevents the stress wave propagation in the intracranial space would be required to mitigate brain injury due to baseball impact.