A new prototype pregnant abdomen for the Hybrid III small-female ATD has been developed and evaluated in a series of component and whole-dummy tests. The new abdomen uses a fluid-filled silicone-rubber bladder to represent the uterus at 30-weeks gestation, and incorporates improved anthropometry with a midline contour that is more representative of the pregnant abdomen than that of the first pregnant dummy. The new abdomen has been designed with more humanlike mechanical response to dynamic rigid-bar, belt, and close-proximity airbag loading. An effort was made to instrument the fluid-filled abdomen to assess for the likelihood of fetal loss through two injury mechanisms that are believed to be the most likely causes of placental abruption in motor-vehicle crashes. Although the instrumentation problems could not be fully resolved within the time and funding constraints of the current program, the results obtained offer promise to future development efforts. The risk of fetal loss in the final prototype pregnant dummy, or MAMA-2B (Maternal Anthropomorphic Measurement Apparatus, version 2B) is determined by measuring the anterior pressure within the fluid-filled bladder. Peak internal bladder pressures measured in series of sled-test simulations of frontal crashes of different severities and occupant-restraint conditions have been correlated to the likelihood of fetal loss based on fetal-loss risk curves developed from real-world crash investigations. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting