A Vulnerability/Lethality Model for the Combat Soldier, A New Paradigm: Basis and Initial Development

A Vulnerability/Lethality Model for the Combat Soldier, A New Paradigm – Basis and Initial Development
N. Shewchenko1, E. Fournier1, M. Wonnacott1, K. Williams2, D. Filips3, and L. Martineau2
1

Biokinetics and Associates Ltd., 2470 Don Reid Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1H 1E1, [e-mail] 2 Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) – Valcartier, 2459, boul Pie-XI Nord, Québec, Québec, Canada, G3J 1X5 3 Innovative Trauma Care Solutions Inc., 122 Advanced Technology Centre, 9650 - 20 Ave., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T5W 0N9
Abstract. Advances in vulnerability and lethality (V/L) modelling are being pursued for the analysis of mitigating strategies. Improving the prediction of morbidity and mortality from polytrauma, accounting for various threat effects and determining the effectiveness of protective systems for the combat soldier are some of the primary objectives. A new V/L paradigm is proposed for defining consistent injury severity assessments and ranking methods to allow for subsequent V/L and incapacitation analyses to be conducted. Advances in computational techniques, anatomical models and injury research have made it possible to improve the fidelity, specificity and accuracy of injury assessment methods. Further improvements are proposed by incorporating multiple injury ranking schemes, physiological parameters and temporal effects relevant to combat operations. The current paper presents the development of an assessment model, computational methods, and review of injury ranking methods and their limitations. The effects of penetrating, blunt force trauma, and blast threats are currently implemented in a relational database for integration with whole system V/L assessment models. The initial efforts employ an anatomically-based injury classification scheme for integration with a highly detailed human model representing major organs, circulatory, nervous and skeletal systems. The initial development and population of the injury

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