Engineering Approaches to Preventing or Mitigating Whiplash Injuries

鞭伤是最常见的车祸伤害，在某些司法管辖区，鞭伤的保险索赔超过了所有其他与车祸相关的伤害的总和。此外，女性在车祸中遭受颈部扭伤的可能性是男性的2到3倍，而汽车座椅（包括目前的防颈部扭伤座椅）的设计和评估都是用男性碰撞试验假人进行的。因此，本研究计划的目的是更好地了解i)女性和男性在追尾事故中如何与汽车座椅互动，以及ii)座椅是否可以适应其乘员和碰撞的严重程度，可以更好地控制乘员在追尾事故中的反应。为了实现这些目标，我们将使用一种计算机控制的座椅，它可以在碰撞过程中改变其几何形状和刚度，以找到在追尾碰撞过程中最小化乘员头部和颈部运动的最佳方法。我们将首先使用女性和男性碰撞测试假人来优化座椅，这些假人是为研究颈部扭伤而设计的。然后，我们将在女性和男性志愿者中验证这一优化座椅，如果需要，我们还会进一步调整座椅，以考虑乘客身高和肌肉反应等因素的性别差异。由于更严重的颈部扭伤发生在乘客在撞击时头部转动时，我们还将评估座椅应该如何适应这种更脆弱的姿势。另一种改变乘客与座椅互动方式的潜在方法是在撞车前调动乘客的反射肌肉反应。先前的研究表明，在发生追尾事故之前立即惊吓乘员可以减少他们的反射性支撑，减少与颈部扭伤相关的运动。因此，我们还将研究将碰撞前惊吓与适应性座椅相结合是否可以进一步减少与颈部扭伤相关的乘员运动和肌肉反应。这项研究的结果对三个群体很重要：i)研究人类和安全系统相互作用的科学家，ii)设计和制造汽车座椅的工程师，iii)所有驾驶或乘坐可能经历追尾冲击的汽车的加拿大人。本研究的预期结果是对乘员和主动座椅如何相互作用以保护车辆乘员的详细机械理解。在未来，这些基础的科学和工程知识可以转化为智能汽车座椅（和其他安全系统）的开发，在碰撞过程中与乘员智能互动，以防止或减少伤害。发展这些知识也将培养研究生，他们将成为该领域的领导者，并有可能在加拿大汽车工业创造新的就业机会。在加拿大发展这些知识最终有助于加拿大的科学家、工程师和制造商在预防伤害和使交通系统更安全方面成为世界领先者。

Whiplash injury is the most common car-crash injury, and insurance claims for whiplash injury exceed all other crash-related injuries combined in some jurisdictions. Moreover, females are 2 to 3 times more likely than males to suffer whiplash injury from a car crash, and yet car seats (including current anti-whiplash seats) are designed and evaluated using male crash test dummies. Thus the objectives of this research proposal are to better understand i) how females and males interact with car seats during rear-end crashes, and ii) whether a seat that can adapt to its occupant and the severity of a crash can better control how an occupant responds during a rear-end crash. To achieve these goals, we will use a computer-controlled seat that can change its geometry and stiffness during a crash to find optimum ways of minimizing an occupant's head and neck motion during a rear-end crash. We will first optimize the seat using female and male crash test dummies designed for studying whiplash injury. We will then validate this optimized seat using female and male volunteers and, if needed, further adapt the seat to account for sex differences in factors such as occupant height and muscle responses. Since more severe whiplash injuries occur when an occupant has their head turned at the time of impact, we will also evaluate how the seat should adapt its response for this more vulnerable posture. Another potential method of altering how occupants interact with their seats is to engage an occupant's reflex muscle responses before a crash. Prior research indicates that startling an occupant immediately before a rear-end impact reduces their reflexive bracing and reduces the motions related to whiplash injury. Thus we will also examine whether combining a pre-crash startle with an adaptable seat can further reduce the occupant motions and muscle response related to whiplash injury. The results of this research are important to three groups: i) scientists studying the interaction of humans and safety systems, ii) engineers who design and manufacture car seats, iii) all Canadians who drive or ride as passengers in cars that can experience a rear-end impact. The anticipated outcome of this research is a detailed mechanical understanding of how occupants and active seats can interact to protect vehicle occupants. In the future, this basic science and engineering knowledge can be translated to the development of smart car seats (and other safety systems) that intelligently interact with their occupants during a crash to prevent or reduce injuries. Developing this knowledge will also train graduate students who will be leaders in the field and potentially create new jobs in the Canadian auto industry. Developing this knowledge in Canada ultimately helps Canadian scientist, engineers and manufacturers become world leaders in preventing injuries and making transportation systems safer.