Numerical Investigation of the Blast-Induced Injuries Using an Open-Source Detailed Human Model

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Computational modeling
• Trauma research

Background:

• Explosions pose significant risks in both military and civilian settings.
• Developing standardized computational frameworks for blast injury prediction remains a challenge.
• Existing numerical models lack a unified approach for simulating blast impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the predictive capability of the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) for blast-induced traumas.
• To evaluate the suitability of the publicly available THUMS pedestrian model for establishing a common modeling framework.
• To investigate the response of vital organs within the THUMS model under various blast scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Simulating blast scenarios in both free-field and partially confined environments.
• Exposing the THUMS human model to diverse blast conditions.
• Analyzing the trauma patterns and responses of internal organs within the THUMS model.

Main Results:

• THUMS demonstrated consistency between simulated internal organ trauma patterns and existing experimental data.
• The model's predictions aligned with established injury thresholds for blast effects.
• The THUMS model proved effective in reproducing primary blast-related injuries.

Conclusions:

• The open-source THUMS human model is validated for simulating primary blast injuries.
• This research supports the development of standardized numerical simulations for human response to explosions.
• THUMS offers a promising tool for enhancing safety planning and response strategies for blast events.