Army researchers are studying the physiological effects of blast pressure on the brain to discover solutions involving technology that will protect soldiers in training or in the field. The Army is partnering with the Japanese Ministry of Defense www.mod.go.jp/e/.
Scientists at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) www.arl.army.mil have developed a gel substance with fluorescent properties that mimics the texture and mass of the human brain to show the scale of damage to the brain under pressure.
“We are developing solutions to enable us to understand the mechanisms of damage at the cellular level,” said Dr. Shashi P. Karna, ARL Nano Functional Materials Senior Research Scientist.
The laboratory is creating materials to enable researchers to see details on the brain that have never been recorded. Using nanotechnology, scientists will be able to see what happens to the brain on the cellular level during an explosion.
Dr. Karna reports, “We have nanomaterials that are highly robust so that in real time when the blast occurs, it will be possible to image the effects like an MRI, but with fluorescence, colors will show the motion of the cells.
As Dr. Karna explained, “On December 19, 2016, Japanese medical researchers visited the Army for an update. The Japanese are using a technique to look at the oxygen level in the tissue also looking at the cortical depressant. When the blast waves hit the brain, a fluctuation in the blood circulation level results so they are able to assess what has been affected by the blast. The Japanese team will test the Army’s samples with a laser-induced shockwave and share the results of the experiment.