SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I effort aims at the feasibility of developing a low-cost, modular human surrogate including a sensory system and organ models with integrated pressure sensors. The proposed system will be utilized for evaluating personal protective equipment (PPE). Current human surrogates are either costly or do not provide adequate pressure measurements. The proposed blast acquisition test system will include Advanced Materials and Devices’ (AMAD) OmniBlast sensors modified for integration into an anatomically correct surrogate. The torso with head, brain, neck, lungs, and neurosensory organs will be 3D printed or molded. Trade studies will be performed on materials selection, number of sensors, and sensor placement. In the Phase I effort, feasibility will be demonstrated by testing and evaluating the proposed surrogate under blast loading conditions from 5 to 25 psi, using AMAD’s blast chamber. The low-fidelity anatomically correct prototype of a sensor-integrated surrogate along with the blast test data will be delivered. In the Phase II effort, the prototypes will be improved for modularity and will be fabricated with biofidelic materials against biological biomechanical models. In addition, software will be released for data analysis, and a roadmap for the Phase III effort will be developed.

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase II effort aims to develop a fully integrated, modular human surrogate, a software suite, and wireless data transmission. The main goals of the Phase II project will be to increase the biofidelity, modularity, and manufacturability of the low-cost, sensor-integrated surrogate developed in Phase I. In Phase II, the prototype that was developed in Phase I will be modified for a female with anatomical differences. Therefore, two separate prototypes will be delivered. The proposed surrogates will be utilized for evaluating the effectiveness of next-generation personal protective equipment. A software suite will be developed to wirelessly collect data and analyze the blast histograms. The developed blast acquisition surrogate test system leverages sensors to be connected to a stand-alone data acquisition box for integration into an anatomically correct surrogate. The torso with head, brain, neck, lung, and neurosensory organs are fabricated with material properties to achieve biofidelity at a low cost. The surrogate system will be revised to increase anatomical accuracy and trade studies will be performed on material selection, multi-material fabrication, and surrogate lung and brain matter modifications. The biofidelity will be demonstrated by testing and evaluating the revised surrogate prototypes under wide blast loading conditions using blast chambers. A roadmap for Phase III will be developed, where, the prototypes will be finalized for manufacturability, durability, and cost reduction; the software will be completed to analyze data for injury risk.