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

拟议的5年生物力学研究项目包括一系列综合的现场和实验室研究，以提高我们对冰球运动中头部撞击和损伤的动力学的理解，并利用这些信息为不同年龄和技术水平的球员设计更安全的护肩垫和冲撞板。在目标1下，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。这些利益相关者将参与整个项目的设计、执行和传播我们的成果，告知并增加我们努力的影响。在目标2中，我们将与SFU曲棍球队和BC省太平洋海岸曲棍球协会的精英（检查）队（球员年龄为13-19岁）合作，使用数字摄像机网络和可穿戴传感器（安装在头盔和设备上）记录比赛和打斗中的碰撞。将对这些数据进行分析，以确定初始和边界条件（冲击速度和身体部分配置）的范围，以及与垫肩和滑板碰撞有关的头部加速度。在目标3下，我们将使用该信息来改进实验室实验的设计，以评估当前和新型的垫肩和板。在与人类参与者的实验中，我们将测量峰值力（来自力板），同时参与者提供“舒适”的肩部检查模拟玩家。这些结果将为描述车身、填充系统和板的冲击响应的集总参数数学模型的发展提供信息。在用落塔和摆式测试平台进行的互补冲击测试中，我们将测量冲击头形的峰值线性和旋转加速度，以及撞击垫肩和木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，我们将比较市售垫肩与不同弹性和损失模量、厚度和表面几何形状的新型硬壳和软壳设计。我们还将比较标准仪表板与一种新颖的板设计，该设计包含内部面板与外部支撑柱和面板之间的可调刚度元素。我们的工作涉及重要的合作伙伴，并将培养两名博士研究生（一名专注于垫肩设计，另一名专注于车载设计），从事伤害预防产品设计的科学和工程。

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.