Blast wave transmission through the thorax and the effects on structures within the lung

Gas exchange, via the lungs, is essential for life; unfortunately lung tissue is delicate and very susceptible to trauma. The lung can suffer many types of injury during everyday life, which can diminish the organ’s ability to perform adequately. Blast lung is a specific example occurring in casualties who are hit by a blast, both combat (bomb blast) and civilian (e.g. bursting pressure vessels). The physical impact on the human can cause significant immediate and long term damaging changes to the lungs and ability to survive. Clinical reports have identified the types of injury observed from the immediate insult such as: alveolar haemorrhage, emphysema, pneumothorax and parenchymal lacerations [1]. The exact mechanisms of injury development have not been elucidated and this forms the basis of this research.

When a blast wave impacts on a human, the incident shock wave is converted into two types of stress wave components: reflected and transmitted. The transmitted waves can take the form of surface waves, shear waves and compressive/tensile through-thickness waves. The nature of these waves depends on the density, the geometry and the medium through, or around, which the wave propagates.

This project aims to experimentally qualify and quantify the stresses induced within different tissues within the thorax, and understanding how differing shock wave profiles can affect the structural response. Insight into these phenomena will be a significant advancement in this area of research, contributing directly to improving clinical practice as well as the design of suitable protective armour. High resolution imaging methods will be used to document macro and micro-scale damage within the tissue to help describe the mechanisms involved during these dynamic events. These imaging methods and chemical analysis can also be used to gain insight into the functional changes within these tissues post blast.

Experiments focussed on the respiratory system will be conducted using the shock tube, gas gun and servo-hydraulic machines within our department. Optical and other high-speed strain monitoring techniques will be used and further developed to improve understanding of blast wave interaction with these biological materials.
The Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies (CBIS) at Imperial College London, within which the research will be undertaken, is a collaboration between military and civilian clinicians, scientists and engineers. All research conducted within the Centre is innately interdisciplinary, with the objective of the Centre to address specific clinical areas aimed at understanding blast injury mechanisms and investigating treatment and mitigation strategies. The project has a large interdisciplinary component with interactions with experts in lung physiology in Imperial's National Heart and Lung Institute; and experts in blast mechanics from the Institute of Shock Physics.

Candidates with a Masters degree, preferably in Bioengineering, Biophysics or Mechanical/Aeronautical Engineering; and with a strong interest and understanding of biomechanics, dynamics, physiological fluid mechanics and stress analysis are encouraged to apply. Exciting research is ongoing within the Centre and this PhD studentship offers the successful candidate a chance to work with many accomplished experimentalists to produce innovative, interdisciplinary and novel research. The student will benefit from being a part of a cohort of students in CBIS, have the opportunity to work across Faculties, use equipment that is unique to the centre and receive specific training in advanced laboratory and analysis techniques.

Interested parties should contact Dr Hari Arora at [Email Address Removed].