aHEAD

Badania

Zespół zaangażowany w projekt aHEAD składa się z interdyscyplinarnej, międzynarodowej grupy inżynierów mechaników i biomechaników, lekarzy neurochirurgów oraz lekarzy weterynarii. W efekcie prowadzone badania obejmują pozornie niezwiązane ze sobą obszary nauki jak mechanika, elektronika, metody numeryczne, nauki medyczne, czy wzornictwo przemysłowe.

Ze strony mechaniki prowadzone są eksperymenty materiałowe na tkankach, eksperymenty przeciążeniowe na zaawansowanych manekinach numerycznych. Równolegle budowane są modele numeryczne głowy uwzględniające najdrobniejsze szczegóły ciała ludzkiego. Modele takie pozwalają na odtworzenie zachowania poszczególnych organów wewnątrz głowy podczas wypadków.

Część grupy badawczej zajmuje się opracowanie narzędzi pomiarowych pozwalających na rejestrację i akwizycję danych, które posłużą do odtworzenia kinematyki głowy podczas wypadku oraz reakcji ciała takie jak puls, temperatura, pomiar EEG podczas zdarzenia.

Badania

Stosując najlepsze praktyki wzornictwa przemysłowego powstaje projekt opaski integrujący wszystkie zaprojektowane systemy w jeden produkt. Opaska posłuży do dalszych badań oraz zostanie wykorzystana jako protoplasta finalnego produktu, który pomoże ulepszyć metody diagnostyczne urazów głowy podczas wypadków.

Zaplecze nauk medycznych trzyma pieczę nad wszystkimi prowadzonymi badaniami technicznymi, opiniując oraz tłumacząc zebrane za pomocą obrazowania medycznego informacje. Zespół prowadzi czynny udział w badaniach naukowych z dziedziny neurochirurgii. Specjaliści z tej dziedziny pomagają również wytyczyć najważniejsze kryteria – dotyczące stopnia oraz rodzaju odniesionych uszkodzeń głowy w rozważanych przypadkach.

RG LI

Zespół

Mariusz Ptak Politechnika Wrocławska kierownik
projektu

Mariusz Ptak (PhD) is a Mechanical Engineer (Assosiate Professor) at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (Poland) with many years’ experience in Computer-aided Design/Engineering (CAD/CAE), finite element/multibody simulations of real world problems in nonlinear dynamics with emphases on pedestrian and cyclist safety, vehicle crashworthiness, ballistic impact, injury biomechanics.

He completed his BEng, concerning TRIZ,at Coventry University (UK) and graduated from WUST with two MSc theses in both management and machine construction. Mariusz holds anapplied patent for the pedestrian protection system mounted on a SUV’s front-end. A laureate of “Top 500 Innovators” program at Stanford University, where he took his first steps in Design Thinking. Also, since 2013 he is IPMA Certified Project ManagementAssociate and a certified soft skills trainer.

In 2019, Mariusz was awarded "Polityka" Scientific Award. In addition, Mariusz works as an expert in European Commission. Currently, Mariusz is a leader of the international grant aHEAD. Prior to working in academia, Mariusz enjoyed a career as a mechanical designer in various industries.

Artur Kwiatkowski Uniwersytet Medyczny lekarz
neurochirurg

Artur Kwiatkowski (MD) is a neurosurgeon with 10 years of experience in traumatic brain injury, neuroradiology and emergency medicine. He is currently employed in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Regional Specialist Hospital in Legnica.

Artur graduated of the faculty of Medicine Wroclaw Medical University and completed neurosurgery residency in the 4th Military Hospital in Bydgoszcz. So far he spent much of his professional career managing trauma patients in the ambulance, operating room, neurosurgery ward and critical care departments.

Konrad Kubicki Uniwersytet Medyczny lekarz
neurochirurg

Konrad Kubicki, MD, is a fourth-year resident in neurosurgery. He attended medical school at the Medical University of Silesia, Katowice. During his medical school career he was a Chair of Neurology Focus Group and a member of Neurosurgery, Radiology and Anatomy Focus Groups.

His research at the Medical University of Silesia was mainly focused on the functional and endovascular neurosurgery. After graduating from medical school he started his residency in Radiology in University Hospital in Wroclaw, gaining his experience in the field of radiographics, Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

In December 2014 he started his neurosurgery residency in the Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital in Wroclaw. His main interest include neurotraumatology and diagnostic and therapeutic neuroradiology.

Johannes Wilhelm Politechnika Wrocławska inżynier
mechanik

Johannes Wilhelm, born in Markranstädt, Germany, 1984. After graduation as B.Eng. in 2015 and as M.Eng. with honors in 2016 in Mechanical Engineering both at Brandenburg University of Technology, he started in the same year PhD-studies at Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Poland.

His focus is as Finite Element Analyst Engineer on road user safety and application of alternative materials in passive safety devices. Since its start in January 2018 he is furthermore a core member of the aHEAD project, which concentrates on the establishment of a numerical system of multivariate head models to simulate the pathophysiology of brain injury. Beside the doctoral studies he is involved as well in consulting, designing and constructing heavy machinery as demolition robots, also including aspects of Human-Machine Interface.

Monika Ratajczak Uniwersytet Zielonogórski specjalista ds.
biomechaniki

Monika Ratajczak,PhD in technical sciences in the discipline biocybernetics and biomedical engineering. She is currently employed at the University of Zielona Góra. She has experience inbrain biomechanics, traumatic brain injury, materials characterisation (in particular in highly deformable materials),finite element method. Her MSc thesis entitled “Investigations of the mechanical properties of the spinal cord in a state of uniaxial tension”was awarded byPolish Society of Biomedical Engineering(for the best MSc thesis in 2013) and Marshal of the Lubuskie region, mrs Elżbieta Polak(for outstanding MScthesis defendedin the academic year 2012/2013). Her research interests are in the areas of neuroscience (including psychology) and biomechanics.

Fábio Fernandes Uniwersytet Aveiro specjalista ds.
biomechaniki

Fábio Fernandes, PhD in Mechanical Engineering (2017), is a researcher at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. He has experience in materials characterisation, Computer-aided Design/Engineering (CAD/CAE), finite element simulations of real-world nonlinear problems and constitutive validation, from crashworthiness to injury biomechanics. Additionally, he has also been actively involved in innovative challenges of technological processes such as laser welding of several materials and the optimisation of the anodization process. During his short professional career, he has been an active author with more than 30 publications indexed in SCOPUS, being recognised with prestigious awards and honours, e.g. the 2017 Mário Quartin Graça Scientific award.

Marek Sawicki Politechnika Wrocławska inżynier
mechanik

Marek Sawicki, MSc Eng in Mechanical Engineering. Born in 1990 In Gorzów Wielkopolski. In 2008 has been admitted to Wroclaw Univesityof Science and Technology for Bachelor Degree and in 2012 for Master Degree. After graduation and two years in industry he has been started PhD studies

During PhD studies he completed ESA ESEO training program and was on two scientific internships in Germany. As a Design Engineer/FEA Structural engineer, he was involved in several industrial projects

Marek’s PhD thesis is concerning usage of Deep Learning Algorithms with Digital Image Correlation and Thermography to detect defects and flaws in composite materials.

In aHead project he is responsible for material testing, headband device development and solving FEA issues as support for rest of the team members.

Maciej Wnuk Politechnika Wrocławska inżynier
mechanik

Maciej Wnuk is PhD student at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology. The thesis is connected with modeling method of non-linear vibrations of CFRP composites. He also works in industry in Automotive Sector.

His background bases on Formula Student competitions, in which he participated for 5 years (PWR Racing Team). Main topics of development were connected with CRFP composites and carrying structure design and optimization. Also he was a support in terms of numerical simulations in the team.

After Formula Student he joined ESEO team where was responsible for numerical simulations of antenna panel during vibrations of the satellite. Satellite was successfully launched to the orbit in November 2018.

He participated in two trainings, one of them in Italy - connected with overall satellite construction, founded by ESA and second - in Spain connected with nuclear power plants engineering, founded by Polish government.

Apart research and development he is interested in physics, painting (www.m-wnuk.wix.com/portfolio) and music production (YouTube: Wnuk-audio).

Oliwer Sobolewski Politechnika Wrocławska stażysta
IT

Oliwer Sobolewski is a Control Engineering and Robotics student at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology. He is also a member of KN Robocik, where he is a part of a team working on an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). In aHEAD he is working on an educational and promotional application developed to showcase research made by other members of the team.

Oliwer's main fields of knowledge is programming and Artificial Intelligence, but he is also interested in all things about cybersecurity. Despite his short career, he accumulated a fair share of technical experience, mainly thanks to various internships and extracurricular courses.

In his free time he likes to listen to and compose music as well as train historical fencing.

Mateusz Dymek Politechnika Wrocławska inżynier
mechanik

Mateusz Dymek, MSc Eng.in Mechanical Engineering. Graduated both, bachelor and master studies in English division at Wroclaw University of Science and Technologyin 2020. Immediately after, he started his PhD studies regarding the methodsto assess head injury in sports using finite element method. The focus is on Finite Element Analysis of head injuries invarious sports disciplines such as American Football, cycling or martial arts.

Additionally, the thesis will include the application of alternative absorbing materials to helmet technology. A member of the aHEAD project, which concentrates on developing of a numerical system of multivariate head models. Combines being a professional American Football athlete in a local team with his research.

Cel projektu

Celem projektu jest opracowanie zaawansowanych modeli numerycznych głowy człowieka w oparciu o metodę elementów skończonych do symulacji patofizjologii urazów czaszkowo-mózgowych. Detekcja patomechanizmu destrukcji struktur mózgowych jest niezwykle istotna w aspekcie zapobiegania i leczenia, a co za tym idzie zwiększenia bezpieczeństwa współczesnej społeczności, obniżając tym samym czas i koszty leczenia.

Biorąc pod uwagę skalę problemu urazowego uszkodzenia mózgu oraz potrzebę rynkową, stwierdziliśmy, że istnieje potrzeba opracowania kompleksowego pakietu modeli numerycznych do badań przeciążeń mechanicznych struktur mózgowych. Efektem końcowym projektu jest opracowanie, m.in. na podstawie danych z obrazowania medycznego, 3 wariantów modeli głowy człowieka, tj. małego dziecka, osoby w wieku średnim oraz osoby starszej, w 2 różnych kodach numerycznych (LS-DYNA i Abaqus). Modele będą podlegać procesowi dwustopniowej walidacji oraz zostaną skorelowane z mapą przyspieszeń działających na głowę człowieka dzięki prototypowi autorskiego, elektroniczno-mechanicznego układu pomiarowego do rejestracji przeciążeń.

W ramach projektu powstanie również komputerowy system naukowo-dydaktyczny, który umożliwi dostęp do uproszczonego modelu głowy człowieka, w celu obrazowania wpływu obciążeń na strukturę mózgu. Wierzymy że, opracowany system modeli „aHEAD” umożliwi poprawę kryteriów biomechanicznych, ulepszenia systemów ochronnych głowy, ułatwi rekonstrukcję wypadków, diagnostykę oraz predykcję obrażeń oraz rozwój wiedzy w zakresie obrażeń głowy.