Technical Paper
Analysis of Lap Belt Fit to Human Subjects using CT Images
2022-05-20
2021-22-0004
In vehicle collisions, the lap belt should engage the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS). In this study, three-dimensional (3D) shapes of bones and soft tissues around the pelvis were acquired using a computed tomography (CT) scan of 10 male and 10 female participants wearing a lap belt. Standing, upright sitting, and reclined postures were scanned using an upright CT and a supine CT scan system. In the upright sitting posture, the thigh height was larger with a higher BMI while the ASIS height did not change significantly with BMI. As a result, the height of the ASIS relative to the thigh (ASIS-thigh height) became smaller as the BMI increased. Because the thigh height of females was smaller than that of males, the ASIS-thigh height was larger for females than for males. As the ASIS-thigh height was larger, the overlap of the lap belt with the ASIS increased. Thus, the lap belt overlapped more with the ASIS for the females than for the males.