ater and durable enough to survive repeated collisions with hard objects. It required straps that would hold the helmet in place even in fast-moving water. It had to cost less than $30 per helmet to manufacture and be comfortable and aesthetically pleasing enough to appeal to whitewater enthusiasts.

The year-long project concluded this month when Cordeiro and Lee unveiled a prototype helmet and subjected it to several tests designed to replicate whitewater conditions. The undergraduates attached the helmet to a dummy head, marked its position, then blasted it with a high-pressure fire hose that unleashed water moving at about 30 mph. The straps held the helmet firmly in place, indicating it should continue to protect a wearers head, even in a fast-moving river. The students also assembled an impact-test apparatus to mimic a high-speed collision between the helmet and a rock. Their test indicated the prototype helmet should absorb enough energy to prevent a serious head injury.

Much of the helmets protective power comes from three layers of EVA foam installed inside the shell. Each layer consists of a different density of closed-cell material, which will not absorb water if the wearer falls into a stream. The shell is made of rugged ABS plastic. Plastic head coverings are usually produced through an expensive molding process. But Cordeiro and Lee dramatically reduced the cost of their prototype helmet by using a high-tech rapid prototyping machine, which applies the plastic in a computer-guided shape through a process that resembles three-dimensional ink-jet printing. Ultimately, they spent only $5,400 to design, fabricate and test their prototype helmet.

It was really rewarding to see it come together, said Lee. We got what we were looking for, what we were designing for. Added Cordeiro: This was a research project where we actually got to see something important come out of it a product that could save peoples lives.

Currently no in
'"/>

Contact: Phil Sneiderman
prs@jhu.edu
410-516-7907
Johns Hopkins University
15-May-2002

Page: 1 2 3
Related medicine news :

1. New study in Nature demonstrates protection against cell death during heart attack
2. Mouse model reveals potential way to reduce cardiac deaths in kidney patients
3. New estimates for the causes of child deaths worldwide
4. Cardiac deaths peak in sleep hours for patients with sleep apnea
5. Sudan surveys show high rates of death and malnutrition among displaced population
6. Risk of cardiac death after radiotherapy for breast cancer has declined, study finds
7. Study shows risk of cardiac death after radiation for breast cancer has dramatically decreased
8. Neuronal death and processing of Tau protein in Alzheimers disease
9. New guideline tackles leading cause of mother and child death
10. Tobacco industry pays scientists to challenge secondhand smokes link to infant death risk
11. Heart surgeons publish death rates