Evaluation of different projectiles in matched experimental eye impact simulations

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Ophthalmology
• Computational modeling

Background:

• Eye trauma causes significant visual impairment and blindness annually.
• Projectile impacts from sports, accidents, and military operations are common causes of eye injury.
• Understanding the biomechanics of eye injury is crucial for developing protective measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To computationally model experimental eye impact tests.
• To analyze the eye's response to various blunt projectile impacts.
• To establish predictive thresholds for globe rupture.

Main Methods:

• Modeled 79 experimental eye impact tests using eight different projectiles.
• Simulated projectile effects based on size, mass, geometry, material, and velocity.
• Validated computational results against experimental data for stress, energy, and pressure.

Main Results:

• Computational models showed good agreement with experimental findings.
• Identified globe rupture thresholds: corneoscleral stress > 17.21 MPa or vitreous pressure > 1.01 MPa.
• Area-normalized kinetic energy and relative projectile size were key predictors of eye stress and pressure.

Conclusions:

• The validated eye model accurately predicts globe rupture from blunt impacts.
• Findings are relevant for designing and regulating eye safety systems.
• Established thresholds provide a basis for assessing eye injury risk from projectiles.