Computational Head Model with Orbit (CHMO) Simulating Optic Nerve Injury Under Blunt Impact
Case ID:
C16069
Disclosure Date:
1/9/2020
Unmet need
The Mayo Clinic estimates that over 200,000 traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur in the United States every year, usually as consequences of car accidents and contact sports. TBIs are associated with a variety of health complications including indirect trauma to the optic nerve. Indirect traumatic optic neuropathy is a poorly understood condition in which the optic nerve is damaged somehow after an impact to the head; it can result in partial or total loss of vision. It is much less common than direct traumatic optic neuropathy, which is estimated occur in up to 5% of closed head trauma and occurs when the bones surrounding the optic nerve break and cut or crush the optic nerve. Vision loss associated with indirect traumatic optic neuropathy can be a devastating and frustrating condition as there is no treatment and the outcomes are quite variable. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the anatomical biomechanics underlying indirect optic nerve damage to provide the appropriate prevention guidelines and therapeutic interventions. Given the difficulty of direct experimentation with head trauma, there is a pressing need for accurate computational models that understand neurodegenerative events caused by TBI and blunt head trauma.
Technology Overview
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a novel computational head model which simulates optic nerve injury resulting from blunt impact. The Computational Head Model with Orbit (CHMO) inputs images from state-of-the-art imaging techniques to model the anatomy and physiology of a human head to simulate optic nerve injury under blunt impact. The CHMO technology can predict deformation of the optic nerve under controlled conditions of input energy and locations of impact (frontal, lateral, and posterior parts of the head). This invention is further capable of elucidating biomechanics of blunt head injury and optic nerve strain in a variety of head trauma related events.
Stage of Development
Experimental data is available.
Patent
N/A
