UK

New £8m centre leads IED injury research

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A new multi-million pound research centre designed to gain a deeper understanding of roadside bomb injuries and to develop better protection has opened today.

The Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London has cost £8 million to turn into a reality.

It’s the first of its kind in the UK, with civilian engineers and scientists working shoulder to shoulder with military doctors – all backed by charitable funding.

Roadside bombs - or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) – are the leading cause of death and injury for service personnel on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The goals of the new centre are:

- To increase understanding about blast injury patterns
- Improve treatments and recovery
- Develop better ways of protecting those serving in current and future conflicts

The Royal British Legion, the leading Armed Forces charity, is providing £5 million to establish the centre.

Imperial College London will lead on the scientific research, which builds on the work already carried out by the Imperial Blast research group at the college.

Admiral the Lord Boyce, the former Chief of the Defence Staff who also conducted a review into the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, will chair the Centre’s Advisory Board.

The Legion will also participate in the strategic direction of the centre. The centre’s work will complement the Legion’s existing range of support for wounded, injured and sick serving men and women of current conflicts, as well as for ex-serving personnel and their families.

Chris Simpkins, Director General, The Royal British Legion, explained the charity’s involvement: “The Centre for Blast Injury Studies aims to improve treatment and recovery for those injured serving their country, as well as to reduce the number and extent of blast injuries in the first place.

“Enhancing the quality of life for the injured, potentially reducing their long-term disability and dependency, while protecting our Service men and women better in the future, is of major importance.

“It chimes perfectly with the support the Legion gives to the whole serving community and we are therefore very proud to be supporting Imperial’s pioneering and world-class work in this field. We are making a long-term investment in the welfare of all who serve.”

Professor Anthony Bull, from the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London and Director of the new Centre, said: “Previously, servicemen and women who were wounded from blasts would have died from their injuries, and now military protection, medical science and practice has improved greatly so that there is a greater prospect of survival.

“We now need to assess the effects of blasts on these survivors. We urgently need to know more, so that we can protect and treat people more effectively. This Centre can make a real difference to the survival and quality of life of those serving in conflicts.”

Surgeon Vice-Admiral Philip Raffaelli, Surgeon General at the Ministry of Defence, said: “I am delighted to support this initiative, which will enable the Imperial Blast group to continue its valuable work, complementing and enhancing existing research being undertaken by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the Defence Medical Services. MOD has supported the work of the Imperial Blast group since 2009, but this new centre will enable it to focus on new and innovative areas of blast research. Military clinicians will contribute their unique knowledge and experiences of combat injuries, enabling the research to focus on areas of most value to military personnel.”

Researchers will experiment with different materials to protect people better and new methods to deflect blast impact and change the pattern and severity of injuries. One project is an intelligent combat boot, insulated with putty to absorb and deflect the impact of an anti-vehicle mine blast. A prototype boot will be ready in late 2012.

Another area of study will be the effect of shockwaves from IED blasts, which can cause system-wide internal trauma to the body that can damage whole organs, as well as disrupting cellular and molecular processes.

And researchers also hope to develop a test that can detect at the molecular level the early onset of Blast Lung - the most common cause of death among people who initially survive an explosion.

Injured soldiers today backed the new centre.

Aron Shelton, 27, formerly of 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment had his leg amputated in 2008 following an incident in Afghanistan in 2007 when the vehicle he was travelling in hit a roadside bomb. He has been advised that he’ll most probably have to have his other leg amputated in the near future.

Mr Shelton said: “The blast that took my leg took my mate’s life. If this research can save lives and limbs in the future then it can only be a good thing. This is why I support the Legion and the Poppy Appeal - donations go directly into funding projects like this.”

Triple amputee and former Royal Marine Commando Mark Ormrod, 28, was on a routine patrol in Afghanistan when he stepped on an IED on Christmas Eve, 2007. He needed 28 pints of blood to save his life and lost both of his legs and an arm. Mark now volunteers for the Legion helping others who need the charity’s assistance.

Mr. Ormrod said: “I very nearly lost my life for my country, so of course I absolutely welcome any research to better understand blast injuries and to treat and equip injured service personnel in the future. It’s a very real problem for the lads serving out in Afghanistan today and I’m glad the Legion is funding this research.”