UTSA, SwRI developing helmet pads to reduce traumatic brain injury in military service members

UTSA’s Dr. Morteza Seidi (left) and SwRI’s Dr. Daniel Portillo (right) are creating innovative military helmet pads designed to prevent traumatic brain injury (TBI). The project is supported by a $125,000 grant from the Connecting through Research Partnerships (Connect) program. Photo Courtesy of SwRI.

SEPTEMBER 16 2024 — Researchers from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and UTSA are creating innovative military helmet pads designed to prevent traumatic brain injury (TBI). The project, led by SwRI’s Daniel Portillo and UTSA’s Morteza Seidi, is supported by a $125,000 grant from the Connecting through Research Partnerships (Connect) program.

Traumatic brain injury can affect human performance and quality of life. It is a critical concern in military settings, where service members are regularly exposed to environments that pose significant risks for blast exposures, blunt trauma and ballistic impacts.

“The increasing incidence of TBI among military service members shows a pressing need for enhanced protective equipment in combat and training environments,” Portillo said. “The widespread use of improvised explosive devices and firearms has made TBIs particularly prevalent, and helmets are the primary form of protection against skull and brain injuries.”

“By leveraging the unique expertise at UTSA and SwRI, we can improve the safety and wellbeing of military service members.”

SwRI and UTSA will collaborate on a helmet that includes multi-behavior padding that becomes soft or stiff depending on the type of impact the wearer experiences. During a blunt impact, such as a fall, the padding will soften to cushion against the blow. A ballistic impact from shrapnel or a bullet will make the padding stiffen to absorb the object’s kinetic energy and prevent injury to the skull and brain.

“Ballistic impacts occur at extremely high speeds,” Seidi said. “They are very different from blunt impacts at relatively lower speeds, which is why it’s challenging to create a helmet that can protect against both.”

SwRI’s Dan Nicolella and UTSA’s Marzieh Memar will lead the computer analysis of human brain response to evaluate the overall performance of padding in reducing the likelihood of brain injury.

The researchers will use 3D printing technology to build the helmet pads, and then test their ability to mitigate injury under various levels of both types of impacts, simulating real-world conditions. Blunt impact testing will occur at UTSA, while SwRI will conduct ballistic impact testing.

“By leveraging the unique expertise at UTSA and SwRI, we can improve the safety and wellbeing of military service members,” Portillo said.

SwRI’s Executive Office and the UTSA Office of Research sponsor the Connect program, which offers grant opportunities to enhance greater scientific collaboration between the two institutions.

— Joanna Quintanilla