Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often happens when the brain tissue undergoes a high rate mechanical load. Although numerous research works have been carried out to study the mechanical characterization of brain matter under quasi-static (strain rate ≤ 100 S−1) loading but a limited amount of experimental studies are available for brain tissue behavior under dynamic strain rates (strain rate ≥ 100 S−1). In this paper, the results of a study on mechanical properties of ovine brain tissue under unconfined compression tests are to be presented. The samples were compressed under uniaxial strain rates of 0.0667, 3.33, 6.667, 33.33, 66.667 and 200 S−1. The brain tissue presents a stiffer response with increasing strain rate, showing a time-dependent behavior. So the hyperelastic-only models are not adequate to exhibit the brain viscoelasticity. Therefore, two hyper-viscoelastic constitutive equations based on power function model and Mooney-Rivlin energy function are applied to the results with quasi-static strain rate (≤ 100 S−1). Good agreement of experimental and theoretical has been achieved for results of the low strain rates. It is concluded that the obtained material parameters from quasi-static tests are not appropriate enough to fit the result with the high strain rate of 200 S−1. The study will further provide new insight into a better understanding of the rate-dependency behavior of the brain tissue under dynamic conditions. This is essential in the development of constitutive material characteristics for an efficient human brain finite element models to predict TBI under impact condition or high motion.
Human brain and brainstem tissues have viscoelastic characteristics and their behaviors are functions of strains as well as strain rates. Determination of the equilibrium and instantaneous stresses happening at low and high strain rates provides insights into a better understanding of the behavior of such tissues. In this manuscript, we present the results of a series of stress relaxation tests at 6 di erent values of strains conducted on porcine brainstem tissue samples to indirectly measure the equilibrium and instantaneous stresses. The equilibrium stresses at low strain rates were measured from long-term responses to the stress relaxation test. The instantaneous stresses at high strain rates were determined using Quasi-Linear Viscoelasticity (QLV) theory at 6 strains. The results showed that the instantaneous stresses were much larger (almost 11 times) than the equilibrium stresses across all the strains. It was concluded that the instantaneous response could reasonably be estimated from the long-term response, which could easily be measured in an experimental manner. The experimental results also showed that the reduced relaxation moduli, estimated by the QLV theory, varied for the 6 strains tested.
Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI), is defined as a type of acquired brain injury that occurs upon the interaction of the human head with blast-generated high-pressure shockwaves. Lack of experimental studies due to moral issues, have motivated the researchers to employ computational methods to study the bTBI mechanisms. Accordingly, a nonlinear finite element (FE) analysis was employed to study the interaction of both unprotected and protected head models with explosion pressure waves. The head was exposed to the incoming shockwaves from front, back, and side directions. The main goal was to examine the effects of head protection tools and the direction of blast waves on the tissue and kinematical responses of the brain. Generation, propagation, and interactions of blast waves with the head were modeled using an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method and a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) coupling algorithm. The FE simulations were performed using Ls-Dyna, a transient, nonlinear FE code. Side blast predicted the highest mechanical responses for the brain. Moreover, the protection assemblies showed to significantly alter the blast flow mechanics. Use of faceshield was also observed to be highly effective in the front blast due to hindering of shockwaves.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) may happen due to loads at high rates. Due to the limitations in experimental approaches, computational methods can simulate and quantify mechanical properties. The experiments show that the human skull has nonlinear mechanical behavior and is significantly strain rate dependent. In this study, we implement Mooney-Rivlin nonlinear hyper and linear-elastic constitutive models to the experimental tensile data at different strain rates; 0.005, 0.1, 10, and 150 1/sec. A dried human skull including frontal, parietal, and occipital bones, was modeled by the 3D laser scanner and discretized by HyperMesh software to perform modal analysis using LS-Dyna finite element software. Using a roving hammer experimental modal analysis scheme, the frequency response function (FRF) and the first three natural frequencies of the skull will be measured. We found these natural frequencies are 496.9 Hz, 560.9 HZ, and 1246 Hz. Performing numerical modal analysis on the skull with pre-assumed linear elastic properties at high strain rate showed close natural frequencies as obtained by experiments. This study provides a new insight into a better understanding of the nonlinearity dynamical behavior of the human skull.
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