Wilhelm Marianne, Bir Cynthia
Wayne State University, Bioengineering Center, 818 West Hancock, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
Forensic Sci Int. 2008 Jan 15;174(1):6-11. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2007.02.028. Epub 2007 Apr 16.
In today's law enforcement community, one of the most vital tools an officer can possess is personal body armor. However, a recent Department of Justice investigation has raised important questions regarding the protection actually afforded officers through the use of personal body armor, and the current test methods used to assess the armor. Test results show that most Zylon-containing vests showed deformations in excess of the 0101.04 Standard's 44 mm backface signature limit. Such increased deformation can lead to serious injuries, including backface signature injuries, which have occurred in the field. Although the vest is successful in containing the round, it is not effectively dissipating the energy enough to prevent large amounts of vest deformation at the area of impact. Therefore, open, penetrating wounds occur even though the bullet did not penetrate the vest. The objective of the current study was to further define the backface signature injury through the use of case studies and laboratory experiments. Following the case study investigation, backface signature testing was conducted using a clay medium based on the NIJ 0101.04 Standard. The final component of this research involved the use of post-mortem human specimens (PMHS) for further investigation of the backface signature injury. Although the underlying cause of backface signature injuries is unknown, energy density is likely to play a role in the mechanism. Energy density (E/a) is defined as the energy per unit area and has been previously used in less lethal skin penetration research. Further research into the underlying causes of backface signature injuries is necessary. In addition to armor testing, the study of law enforcement personnel who have been shot while wearing soft body armor is also a valuable tool for determining the effectiveness of certification standards. Finally, it is important for medical personnel to recognize the backface signature injury and document this as a type of injury separate from blunt trauma or penetrating trauma behind armor injuries. Detailed knowledge of the injury, including the depth of the wound, would be beneficial to the scientific community.
在当今的执法领域，警察所拥有的最重要工具之一就是个人防弹衣。然而，美国司法部最近的一项调查提出了一些重要问题，涉及通过使用个人防弹衣实际为警察提供的防护，以及用于评估防弹衣的现行测试方法。测试结果表明，大多数含兹隆纤维的背心出现的变形超过了0101.04标准规定的44毫米背面特征极限。这种增加的变形可能导致严重伤害，包括在实际执法中已经出现的背面特征伤害。尽管背心成功挡住了子弹，但它没有有效地耗散足够的能量以防止在撞击区域出现大量的背心变形。因此，即使子弹没有穿透背心，也会出现开放性穿透伤。本研究的目的是通过案例研究和实验室实验进一步明确背面特征伤害。在案例研究调查之后，根据美国国家司法研究所0101.04标准，使用黏土介质进行了背面特征测试。本研究的最后一部分涉及使用尸体标本（PMHS）对背面特征伤害进行进一步调查。尽管背面特征伤害的根本原因尚不清楚，但能量密度可能在其机制中起作用。能量密度（E/a）定义为单位面积的能量，此前已用于低致命性皮肤穿透研究。有必要对背面特征伤害的根本原因进行进一步研究。除了防弹衣测试之外，对穿着软质防弹衣时中枪的执法人员进行研究也是确定认证标准有效性的一个有价值的工具。最后，医务人员认识到背面特征伤害并将其记录为一种与钝器伤或防弹衣后穿透伤不同的伤害类型非常重要。对这种伤害的详细了解，包括伤口深度，将对科学界有益。
