Utilizing cryogenic grips for dynamic tension testing of human placenta tissue

Computational models are used to investigate placental abruption in motor vehicle crashes, which is the leading cause of traumatic fetal injury mortality in the United States. Material parameters for computational modeling of pregnant occupant kinematics come from early research on placenta tissue at quasi-static loading rates. The purpose of this research is to develop a methodology for using cryogenic grips to test placenta specimens in uniaxial tension at a rate normally seen in a motor vehicle crash. For dynamic testing of placental tissue, implementing and adapting a cryogenic grip mechanism provides the ability to grip the tissue throughout the thickness and eliminates potential slipping of the tissue in the grip during the dynamic test. The validation for using the cryogenic grips is presented with video images of a typical test event showing the tissue failing in the active area. Additionally, local and global strain measures are compared to confirm the tissue strain is similar throughout the specimen. The cryogenic grips provide a low-cost and effective method of gripping and pulling a thick soft tissue in uniaxial tension. As a result, these methods can be used to acquire the material properties of placenta tissue loaded at a dynamic rate to apply in a computational pregnant model.