aHEAD

Research

The team involved in the aHEAD project consists of an interdisciplinary, international group of mechanical and biomechanical engineers, neurosurgeons and veterinary surgeons. As a result, the conducted research covers seemingly unrelated areas of science such as mechanics, electronics, numerical methods, medical sciences and industrial design.

Mechanical engineers carry out material experiments on tissues, experiments on advanced numerical dummies. In parallel, numerical models of the head are built taking into account the smallest details of the human body. Such models allow us to reconstruct the behavior of individual organs inside the head during accidents.

A part of the research group deals with the creation of instruments that allow the registration and acquisition of data that will be used to reproduce the kinematics of the head during an accident and body reactions such as pulse, temperature, EEG (Electroencephalography) measurement during an impact.

Research

Using the best practices of industrial design, a headband is being created that integrates all designed systems into one product. The headband will be used for further research and will be used as the forerunner of the final product, which will help improve the diagnostic methods of head injuries in accidents.

The team members, with the background of medical sciences, verify all technical research conducted, giving opinions and translating information collected through medical imaging. The specialists in neurosurgery help to set the biomechanical criteria – regarding the degree and type of head injuries in the considered cases. The medical doctors also explain to the engineers how the brain works and why it is so vulnerable. Thus, the whole team actively participates in scientific research in the field of neurosurgery and biomechanics – this is our strength.

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Zespół

Mariusz Ptak Wroclaw University of Science
and Technology project
leader

Mariusz Ptak Wroclaw University of Science and Technology project
leader

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 Wroclaw Medical
University
neurosurgeon

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 Medical University
of Silesia
neurosurgeon

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 Wroclaw University of Science
and Technology mechanical
engineer

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 University of
Zielona Góra specjalista ds.
biomechaniki

Monika Ratajczak University of
Zielona Góra biomechanics
specialist

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 University of
Aveiro biomechanics
specialist

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 Wroclaw University of Science
and Technology mechanical
engineer

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 Wroclaw University of Science
and Technology mechanical
engineer

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 Wroclaw University of Science
and Technology IT
intern

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 Wroclaw University of Science
and Technology mechanical
engineer

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.

Project Aim

The aim of the project is to create a Finite Element Method-based numerical system of advanced human head models to simulate the pathophysiology of brain injury. The detection of the respective pathomechanism in cases of destructed brain structures is extremely important in terms of prevention and treatment, consequently also increasing the safety of modern society while reducing the effort of time and cost of treatment.

Realising the scale of the problem of traumatic brain injury and the demand on the market, the authors of the project concluded that there is a need to develop a comprehensive, multi-variate package of numerical models to reflect upon brain structures in situation of mechanical loads. The goal of the project is to develop three variants of models of the human head - i.e. a small child, people in middle age and the elderly - basing among others on data out of medical imaging, resulting in models available in two different numeric codes (LS-DYNA and Abaqus). The models will be subjected to a two-staged process of validation, which includes also the correlation with a map of acceleration carried out by an electro-mechanic prototype measurement system monitoring acceleration acting on a human’s head.

In a specific part of the project, the creation of a computer system for the purpose of research and education is intended, which will provide access to a simplified model of the human head illustrating the consequences out of applied impact loads to the structures of the brain. Summarizing, the envisaged numerical system "aHEAD" will improve biomechanical criteria as well as head-protective systems, facilitating in terms of forensics and the reconstruction of accidents, diagnosis and prediction of the injuries and support to gain knowledge in the field of head injuries.