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Soft Tissue Assessment System for Test Dummies (07039)

*Abstract

The University of Louisville seeks a company interested in commercializing an exciting new technology in anthropomorphic test devices (a.k.a., crash test dummies or human surrogates). Researchers are developing an instrumented covering to address the need for an “intelligent” test dummy capable of simulating and evaluating injuries that would be experienced by a human subject under particular conditions.

                                  

Applications
• Assessment of human injury risk in automotive crash safety testing
• Simulation and evaluation of abusive and non-abusive injuries in the human population, particularly in the elderly and child population.

                                            

Advantages
• Addresses the need for a test dummy with the ability to record points of impact or contact
• Provides objective data to help physicians, police, or others differentiate between injuries sustained during childhood accidents and those sustained from abuse
• Records contact over entire body rather than solely the face, as in the case of the Facial Laceration Measurement System, thereby providing information on a greater number of injurious scenarios

                                  

Technology
Researchers are working to improve the biofidelity of child test dummies to collect data on the patterns and characteristics associated with bruising in childhood injuries and abuse. They are developing a soft tissue impact assessment device, or sensor “skin,” that is moldable to a human-like form. An array of positional force sensors within the skin will measure the force and location of impact to the skin and provide data regarding the force and location on the skin. The output data can be presented on a computerized body image map, allowing for the documentation of bruising patterns associated with various conditions having the potential to produce injury. The data can be organized to provide body image maps by category of injury events.  The data can be organized to provide body image maps by category of injury events.  The database can be queried to determine the compatibility between a stated cause of injury and presenting soft tissue injuries.

                            

Intellectual Property
U.S. Patent No. 8,292,830, issued Oct. 23, 2012

                                         

Availability
For additional information, please contact University of Louisville's Office of Technology Transfer:
Telephone:  (502) 852-2965
Email:  thinker@louisville.edu
Eric Castlen, Technology Transfer Officer
Website:  http://louisville.edu/thinker
Reference Disclosure No. 07039

                                     

Country/Region

USA