Matched experimental and computational simulations of paintball eye impacts

Over 1200 paintball related eye injuries are treated every year in US emergency departments. These injuries can be manifested as irritation from paint splatter in the eye to catastrophic rupture of the globe. Using the Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University Eye Model, experimental paintball impacts were replicated and the experimental and computational results compared. A total of 10 paintball impacts were conducted from a range of 71.1 m/s to 112.5 m/s. All experimental tests resulted in rupture of the globe. The matched computational simulations also predicted near-failure or failure in each of the simulations, with a maximum principal stress of greater than 22.8 MPa in all scenarios, over 23 MPa for velocities above 73 m/s. Failure stress for the VT-WFU Eye Model is defined as 23 MPa. The current regulation velocity for paintballs of 91 m/s exceeds the tolerance of the eye to globe rupture and underscores the importance for eyewear in this sport.