Head injury prevention is a crucial concern within the healthcare system and scientific community. Experimental and numerical trials play a key role, utilizing anthropomorphic test devices and human head numerical models to study impact scenarios. However, rigid headforms, Like Hybrid III or EN 960, lack biofidelity, suggesting a need for more refined physical models, such as NOCSAE standardized headform. Moreover, the direct development of human head numerical models relies on testing cadaveric tissues. Therefore, a biofidelic instrumented human head replica embedding synthetic simulants of cerebrospinal fluid, meninges, and brain was developed at the University of Padova in collaboration with Mid Sweden University. As part of this activity, the present study proposes an integrated experimental-numerical methodology for impact testing, involving the development of a finite element model of this replica. This also supports the future development of human head models having the same geometry as physical replicas. Preliminarily, the proposed workflow involves the mechanical characterization of the materials used for the replica and the geometry reconstruction for the subsequent numerical analysis. This was performed with an explicit dynamic algorithm to simulate impacts of the physical bare replica onto a flat anvil using a drop tower. An example of the collection and analysis of experimental and numerical data is presented as a preliminary validation of the model. The interpretation of these results is provided as a basis for refinements, before the study of helmeted impacts. The results show that the current model needs improvements in terms of coupling mechanisms and skin and fluid constitutive formulations.
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