Preliminary analysis of blunt ballistic impacts to the abdomen

Law enforcement agencies, as well as military personnel, are relying on non-lethal technology to diffuse potentially life-threatening situations without the use of lethal force. However, a standardized method for testing the health effects of these non-lethal devices has not been established. In recent studies, the abdominal region has been cited as the area most impacted during the deployment of kinetic energy rounds [1]. In the current study, the first phase of biomechanical testing involved the determination of biomechanical corridors. A total of six post-mortem human subjects were tested. An impact condition of a 45 g mass at 60 m/s resulted in 4,741 N of force generated with 22 mm of deflection. The second phase involved the determination of a valid injury criterion based on a pre-established tolerance of injury in a porcine model. Injuries observed were classified according to AIS. Logistic regression analysis of the injury data, in combination with an empirically derived criterion, facilitated this process. The predictive ability of several key injury criteria was evaluated.