The battlefield is a volatile environment, exposing soldiers to many potential dangers. Although the physical symptoms may not be immediate, shock waves and blast pressures can often lead to traumatic brain injury (TBI) in soldiers. In order to improve TBI detection, the US Navy is developing small sensors and a companion scanner to protect those who serve.
At this time, everyone within 165 ft. of a dangerous blast is ordered to stand down for 24 hours and received a mandatory medical checkup. This method of TBI detection has received some criticism, since small bases would have the majority of its officers out of commission for the 24-hour wait period. Furthermore, some believe waiting only 24 hours to detect symptoms of brain injury isn’t sufficient.
To advance these medical practices, The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is currently developing BLAST, or the Blast Load Assessment Sense and Test. The design includes small sensors embedded into a soldier’s helmet or body armor. These sensors capture and record the blast pressure in the event of an explosion. A nearby scanner, either handheld or stationary, feeds the pressure data into a specialized algorithm that decides whether or not the solider should remain in action.
If the algorithm registers that an individual should be removed from the scene, a neurofunctional assessment tool delivers vibrations in alternating patterns to stimulate feelings in the soldier’s fingertips. If the individual cannot feel those particular sensations, medics can determine if TBI has occurred.
This device is currently undergoing laboratory experiments, but the ONR hopes to test this technology on field mannequins and Marine personnel during training exercises in the next few years.
