Improvements in the Design of Shoulder Pads and Boards for Preventing Head Injuries During Ice Hockey Collisions

拟议的为期5年的生物力学研究计划包括一系列综合的现场和实验室研究，以提高我们对曲棍球头部撞击和受伤的动力学的理解，并利用这些信息为不同年龄和技能水平的球员设计更安全的垫肩和短板。根据目标1，我们将为我们的工程设计项目建立一个“实践社区”，由研究人员、教练、球员、家长和曲棍球协会管理人员组成。这些利益攸关方将在整个项目中参与设计、执行和传播我们的成果，以告知我们的努力并增加其影响。根据目标2，我们将与SFU曲棍球队和卑诗省太平洋海岸曲棍球协会(球员年龄在13-19岁)中的精英(检查)团队合作，使用数码摄像机和可穿戴传感器(安装在头盔和设备上)网络记录比赛和混战中的碰撞事件。这些数据将被分析以确定初始和边界条件的范围(撞击速度和身体部分配置)，以及撞击肩垫和板时涉及的头部加速度。在目标3下，我们将利用这些信息来改进实验室实验的设计，以评估目前和新型的肩垫和垫板。在与人类参与者的实验中，我们将测量峰值力量(从力量盘中)，同时参与者向模拟玩家提供“舒适的”肩部检查。这些结果将为描述车身、填充系统和板的冲击响应的集中参数数学模型的开发提供参考。在落塔和摆式试验台的补充冲击试验中，我们将测量撞击头形时的峰值线加速度和旋转加速度，以及撞击肩垫和板时的头部损伤标准(HIC)值。这些测试将模拟我们在游戏中观察到的初始和边界条件的范围。在每种情况下，我们将比较商业上可用的肩垫和不同弹性和损耗模数、厚度和表面几何形状的新型硬壳和软壳设计。我们还将比较标准的仪表板和一种新颖的板设计，其中包含内表面板和外部支撑柱和板之间的可调刚性元件。我们的工作涉及到重要的合作伙伴，并将培训两名博士生(一名专注于肩垫设计，另一名专注于板式设计)，学习预防伤害的产品设计的科学和工程知识。

The proposed 5-year program of biomechanics research involves an integrated series of field and laboratory studies to improve our understanding of the dynamics of head impacts and injuries in hockey, and to use that information to design safer shoulder padding and dasher boards for players at various ages and skill levels. Under Aim 1, we will establish a “community of practice” for our engineering design projects, consisting of researchers, coaches, players, parents, and hockey association administrators. These stakeholders will participate throughout the project in designing, executing and disseminating our results, to inform and increase the impact of our efforts. Under Aim 2, we will work with the SFU hockey team and elite (checking) teams in the BC Pacific Coast Hockey association (with players aged 13-19) to record collisions in games and scrimmages, using networks of digital video cameras and wearable sensors (mounted on helmets and equipment). These data will be analyzed to identify the range of initial and boundary conditions (impact velocities and body segment configurations) and head accelerations involved in impacts to shoulder pads and boards. Under Aim 3, we will use that information to refine the design of laboratory experiments to evaluate current and novel types of shoulder pads and boards. In experiments with human participants, we will measure peak forces (from a force plate) while participants deliver “comfortable” shoulder checks to simulated players. These results will inform the development of lumped parameter mathematical models describing the impact response of the body, and of padding systems and boards. In complementary impact tests with drop tower and pendulum-type test rigs, we will measure peak linear and rotational accelerations of an impacting headform, and head injury criteria (HIC) values, during impacts onto shoulder pads and boards. These tests will simulate the range of initial and boundary conditions we observe in games. In each case, we will compare commercially available shoulder pads to novel hard and soft shell designs of varying elastic and loss modulus, thickness and surface geometry. We will also compare standard dasher boards to a novel board design containing adjustable stiffness elements between inner facing panels and outer support posts and panels. Our work involves key partners, and will train two Ph.D. students (one focused on shoulder pad design, and the other on board design) in the science and engineering of product design for injury prevention.