The Dynamics of Concussion: Helmet Performance Assessment, Real-time Monitoring and Intelligent Diagnostics

拟议的研究计划汇集了我在冲击动力学，惯性导航，生命体征监测，智能诊断系统，以及头部撞击和创伤性脑损伤（TBI），特别是脑震荡方面的关键研究领域。脑震荡，也被称为轻度创伤性脑损伤（mTBI），是在足球和曲棍球等接触性运动中最常见的TBI形式，使运动相关的脑震荡约占北美每年发生的脑损伤总数的20%。然而，在老年人跌倒、车祸、军队、急救人员以及建筑和采矿部门，这是一个普遍存在的问题。尽管这是一个重大的心理健康问题，但直到最近才进入公众意识的中心舞台。我在2009年建立的头部损伤预防实验室（HIP）在需要佩戴头盔的活动中减少头部损伤方面进行了开创性的研究。我们的努力取得了六项加拿大和国际专利，并于2014年将SFU初创公司Shield-X Technology Inc.商业化。SFU和加拿大和美国的八所高中橄榄球队近500名参与者的测试结果证实，这项技术将提高头盔性能，显著减少报告的脑震荡数量（例如，SFU橄榄球队在2014赛季从平均每年14例报告病例减少到4例）。随着这项技术的成功商业化，我们的下一个研究任务是解决量化脑震荡动力学的研究挑战。为此，我将从头盔性能评估、实时监测和智能诊断开始。在接下来的五年里，我的研究计划主要集中在：***1)基于各种头盔的实验室实验测试，建立一个针对线性和旋转冲击的加拿大头盔评级系统***2)利用实时监测传感器套件识别脑震荡***3)定义不同头盔的头部损伤和脑震荡的旋转冲击阈值***4)实现内置智能的可穿戴传感器套件，显示冲击位置和导致力大小，以更好地评估脑震荡阈值***建议研究项目利用了我在冲击动力学、非线性动力学、惯性导航、传感器和智能诊断系统方面的专业知识。由于脑震荡和头部损伤研究需要医学专业知识，我也受益于与Shield-X Technology的首席技术官Daniel Abram博士、我所在部门的精神健康研究主席Faranak Farzan博士和温哥华脑震荡治疗诊所Neurokinetics的主治医生Philippe a . Souvestre博士的密切合作。拟议的研究将资助三名hqp（每年两名博士生，一名MASc学生和三名合作学生），他们将解决项目的不同方面。

The proposed research program brings together my key areas of research on impact dynamics, inertial navigation, vital signs monitoring, intelligent diagnostic systems, and head impact and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), in particular, concussion. Concussion, also known as mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), is the most common form of TBI in contact sports such as football and hockey, making Sports-related concussion about 20% of the total number of brain injuries that occurs each year in North America. However, it is a common problem witnessed in the elderly falling, car accidents, the military, the first responders and the construction and mining sectors. Despite it being a major mental health issue, it has only recently entered into the public awareness center stage. The Head Injury Prevention lab (HIP), which I established in 2009, has made pioneering studies on reduction of head injury during an impact in activities that require the user to wear a helmet. Our efforts have resulted in six Canadian and international patents, leading to the commercialization of an SFU startup company, Shield-X Technology Inc., in 2014. Test results from SFU and eight high school football teams across Canada and the US with close to 500 participants have confirmed that this technology, would enhance helmet performance, to reduce the number of reported concussions significantly (e.g., SFU football team went from an annual average of fourteen reported cases to four in its 2014 season). With the successful commercialization of this technology, our next research task is to address the research challenges in quantifying the dynamics of a concussion. To do so, I will start by helmet performance assessment, real-time monitoring, and intelligent diagnostics. In the next five years, my research program focuses on: ***1) Establishing a Canadian helmet rating system for both linear and rotational impacts based on experimental lab tests of various helmets***2) Identifying concussion utilizing a real-time monitoring sensor suite***3) Defining rotational impact thresholds for the head injury and concussion for different helmets***4) Arriving at a wearable sensor suite with built-in intelligence showing impact location and the causing force magnitude to better assess the concussion thresholds ***The proposed research program utilizes my expertise in impact dynamics, nonlinear dynamics, inertial navigation, sensors, and intelligent diagnostic systems. Since concussion and head injury research require medical expertise, I am also benefitting from close collaboration with Dr. Daniel Abram, CTO of Shield-X Technology, Dr. Faranak Farzan, a research chair on mental health at my department, and Dr. Philippe A. Souvestre, managing physician at the Neurokinetics, a Vancouver based concussion treatment clinic. The proposed research will sponsor three HQPs (two Ph.D. students, one MASc student, and three coop students per year) who will address different aspects of the project.