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Studies on hand-transmitted vibration exposure, biodynamic responses, and biological effects were conducted by researchers at the Health Effects Laboratory Division (HELD) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) during the last 20 years. These studies are systematically reviewed in this report, along with the identification of areas where additional research is needed. The majority of the studies cover the following aspects: (i) the methods and techniques for measuring hand-transmitted vibration exposure; (ii) vibration biodynamics of the hand–arm system and the quantification of vibration exposure; (iii) biological effects of hand-transmitted vibration exposure; (iv) measurements of vibration-induced health effects; (iv) quantification of influencing biomechanical effects; and (v) intervention methods and technologies for controlling hand-transmitted vibration exposure. The major findings of the studies are summarized and discussed.

The objective of this study was to develop a vibration model of a grinding machine-workpiece-hand-arm system. A lumped-parameter model structure of the system was proposed, and its major parameters were determined using the mechanical impedance measured at the grinding point of a typical workpiece (golf club head) held by two hands and referenced to the vibration transmissibility spectra measured at the wrist and on the upper arm of human subjects. The model reasonably predicted the vibration transmissibility spectra measured on the club head and the driving-point response function when the grinding contact stiffness was below a certain value. This suggests that the model is acceptable not only to enhance the understanding of the system responses, but also to explore some engineering methods for controlling vibration exposures during the grinding process. The identified model parameters reveal that the major resonance of the handheld workpiece depends primarily on its mass and grinding contact stiffness. The feed force applied in the grinding process can substantially affect the grinding contact stiffness; as a result, it can significantly influence the resonance. Vibration-reducing gloves can marginally increase the workpiece resonance, but these gloves can reduce some vibration transmitted to the hand-arm system. This study also clarified an important mechanism for the prediction errors of linear human vibration models, which is useful to further improve human vibration modeling.

This study conducted two series of experiments to investigate the relationships between hand coupling force and biodynamic responses of the hand-arm system. In the first experiment, the vibration transmissibility on the system was measured as a continuous function of grip force while the hand was subjected to discrete sinusoidal excitations. In the second experiment, the biodynamic responses of the system subjected to a broadband random vibration were measured under five levels of grip forces and a combination of grip and push forces. This study found that the transmissibility at each given frequency increased with the increase in the grip force before reaching a maximum level. The transmissibility then tended to plateau or decrease when the grip force was further increased. This threshold force increased with an increase in the vibration frequency. These relationships remained the same for both types of vibrations. The implications of the experimental results are discussed. Practitioner Summary: Shocks and vibrations transmitted to the hand-arm system may cause injuries and disorders of the system. How to take hand coupling force into account in the risk assessment of vibration exposure remains an important issue for further studies. This study is designed and conducted to help resolve this issue.

Some powered hand tools can generate significant vibration at frequencies below 25 Hz. It is not clear whether such vibration can be effectively transmitted to the upper arm, shoulder, neck, and head and cause adverse effects in these substructures. The objective of this study is to investigate the vibration transmission from the human hands to these substructures. Eight human subjects participated in the experiment, which was conducted on a 1-D vibration test system. Unlike many vibration transmission studies, both the right and left hand-arm systems were simultaneously exposed to the vibration to simulate a working posture in the experiment. A laser vibrometer and three accelerometers were used to measure the vibration transmitted to the substructures. The apparent mass at the palm of each hand was also measured to help in understanding the transmitted vibration and biodynamic response. This study found that the upper arm resonance frequency was 7–12 Hz, the shoulder resonance was 7–9 Hz, and the back and neck resonances were 6–7 Hz. The responses were affected by the hand-arm posture, applied hand force, and vibration magnitude. The transmissibility measured on the upper arm had a trend similar to that of the apparent mass measured at the palm in their major resonant frequency ranges. The implications of the results are discussed. Relevance to industry Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the shoulder and neck are important issues among many workers. Many of these workers use heavy-duty powered hand tools. The combined mechanical loads and vibration exposures are among the major factors contributing to the development of MSDs. The vibration characteristics of the body segments examined in this study can be used to help understand MSDs and to help develop more effective intervention methods.

The objectives of this study were to develop models of the hand-arm system in the three orthogonal directions (xh, yh , and zh ) and to enhance the understanding of the hand vibration dynamics. A four-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) model and 5-DOF model were used in the simulation for each direction. The driving-point mechanical impedances distributed at the fingers and palm of the hand reported in a previous study were used to determine the parameters of the models. The 5-DOF models were generally superior to the 4-DOF models for the simulation. Hence, as examples of applications, the 5-DOF models were used to predict the transmissibility of a vibration-reducing glove and the vibration transmissibility on the major substructures of the hand-arm system. The model-predicted results were also compared with the experimental data reported in two other recent studies. Some reasonable agreements were observed in the comparisons, which provided some validation of the developed models. This study concluded that the 5-DOF models are acceptable for helping to design and analyze vibrating tools and anti-vibration devices. This study also confirmed that the 5-DOF model in the zh direction is acceptable for a coarse estimation of the biodynamic responses distributed throughout the major substructures of the hand-arm system. Some interesting phenomena observed in the experimental study of the biodynamic responses in the three directions were also explained in this study.

It is known that the vibration characteristics of the fingers and hand and the level of grip action interacts when operating a power tool. In the current study, we developed a hybrid finger model to simulate the vibrations of the hand–finger system when gripping a vibrating handle covered with soft materials. The hybrid finger model combines the characteristics of conventional finite element (FE) models, multi-body musculoskeletal models, and lumped mass models. The distal, middle, and proximal finger segments were constructed using FE models, the finger segments were connected via three flexible joint linkages (i.e., distal interphalangeal joint (DIP), proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP), and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint), and the MCP joint was connected to the ground and handle via lumped parameter elements. The effects of the active muscle forces were accounted for via the joint moments. The bone, nail, and hard connective tissues were assumed to be linearly elastic whereas the soft tissues, which include the skin and subcutaneous tissues, were considered as hyperelastic and viscoelastic. The general trends of the model predictions agree well with the previous experimental measurements in that the resonant frequency increased from proximal to the middle and to the distal finger segments for the same grip force, that the resonant frequency tends to increase with increasing grip force for the same finger segment, especially for the distal segment, and that the magnitude of vibration transmissibility tends to increase with increasing grip force, especially for the proximal segment. The advantage of the proposed model over the traditional vibration models is that it can predict the local vibration behavior of the finger to a tissue level, while taking into account the effects of the active musculoskeletal force, the effects of the contact conditions on vibrations, the global vibration characteristics.

While simulations of the measured biodynamic responses of the whole human body or body segments to vibration are conventionally interpreted as summaries of biodynamic measurements, and the resulting models are considered quantitative, this study looked at these simulations from a different angle: model calibration. The specific aims of this study are to review and clarify the theoretical basis for model calibration, to help formulate the criteria for calibration validation, and to help appropriately select and apply calibration methods. In addition to established vibration theory, a novel theorem of mechanical vibration is also used to enhance the understanding of the mathematical and physical principles of the calibration. Based on this enhanced understanding, a set of criteria was proposed and used to systematically examine the calibration methods. Besides theoretical analyses, a numerical testing method is also used in the examination. This study identified the basic requirements for each calibration method to obtain a unique calibration solution. This study also confirmed that the solution becomes more robust if more than sufficient calibration references are provided. Practically, however, as more references are used, more inconsistencies can arise among the measured data for representing the biodynamic properties. To help account for the relative reliabilities of the references, a baseline weighting scheme is proposed. The analyses suggest that the best choice of calibration method depends on the modeling purpose, the model structure, and the availability and reliability of representative reference data.

The objective of this study is to investigate the basic characteristics of the three axis mechanical impedances distributed at the fingers and palm of the hand subjected to vibrations along three orthogonal directions (xh, yh, and zh). Seven subjects participated in the experiment on a novel three-dimensional (3-D) hand–arm vibration test system equipped with a 3-D instrumented handle. The total impedance of the entire hand–arm system was obtained by performing a sum of the distributed impedances. Two major resonances were observed in the impedance data in each direction. For the hand forces (30 N grip and 50 N push) and body postures applied in this study, the first resonance was in the range of 20–40 Hz, and it was primarily observed in the impedance at the palm. The second resonance was generally observed in the impedance at the fingers, while the resonance frequency varied greatly with the subject and vibration direction, ranging from 100 to 200 Hz in the xh direction, 60 to 120 Hz in the yh direction, and 160 to 300 Hz in the zh direction. The impedance at the palm was greater than that at the fingers below a certain frequency in the range of 50–100 Hz, depending on the vibration direction. At higher frequencies, however, the impedance magnitude at the fingers either approached or exceeded that at the palm. The impedance in the zh direction was generally higher than those in the other directions, but it became comparable with that in the xh direction at frequencies above 250 Hz, while the impedance in the yh direction was the lowest. The frequency dependencies of the vibration power absorptions for the entire hand–arm system in the three directions were different, but their basic trends were similar to that of the frequency weighting defined in the current ISO standard. The implications of the results are discussed.

The objective of this study is to propose a theory on the biodynamic frequency weighting for studying hand-transmitted vibration exposures and vibration-induced effects. We hypothesize that the development of a vibration effect is the result of two consecutive but synergistic processes: biodynamic responses to input vibration and biological responses to the biomechanical stimuli resulting from the biodynamic responses. Hence, we further hypothesize that the frequency-dependency (W) of the effect generally includes two components: a biodynamic frequency weighting (W1) and a biological frequency weighting (W2), or W=W1• W2. These hypotheses are consistent with the stress and strain analysis theory and methods widely used in structural dynamics and biomechanics. The factorization may make it easier to study the complex frequency-dependency using different approaches: the biodynamic frequency weighting depends on the passive physical response of the system to vibration, and it can thus be determined by examining the biodynamic response of the system using various engineering methods; on the other hand, the biological frequency weighting depends on the biological mechanisms of the effects, and it can be investigated by studying the psychophysical, physiological, and pathological responses. To help test these hypotheses, this study reviewed and further developed methods to derive the finger biodynamic frequency weighting. As a result, preliminary finger biodynamic frequency weightings are proposed. The implications of the proposed theory and the preliminary biodynamic frequency weightings are also discussed.

The objective of this study is to enhance the understanding of the vibration transmission in the hand-arm system in three orthogonal directions (X, Y, and Z). For the first time, the transmitted vibrations distributed on the entire hand-arm system exposed in the three orthogonal directions via a 3-D vibration test system were measured using a 3-D laser vibrometer. Seven adult male subjects participated in the experiment. This study confirms that the vibration transmissibility generally decreased with the increase in distance from the hand and it varied with the vibration direction. Specifically, to the upper arm and shoulder, only moderate vibration transmission was measured in the test frequency range (16 to 500 Hz), and virtually no transmission was measured in the frequency range higher than 50 Hz. The resonance vibration on the forearm was primarily in the range of 16–30 Hz with the peak amplitude of approximately 1.5 times of the input vibration amplitude. The major resonance on the dorsal surfaces of the hand and wrist occurred at around 30–40 Hz and, in the Y direction, with peak amplitude of more than 2.5 times of the input amplitude. At higher than 50 Hz, vibration transmission was effectively limited to the hand and fingers. A major finger resonance was observed at around 100 Hz in the X and Y directions and around 200 Hz in the Z direction. In the fingers, the resonance magnitude in the Z direction was generally the lowest, and the resonance magnitude in the Y direction was generally the highest with the resonance amplitude of 3 times the input vibration, which was similar to the transmissibility at the wrist and hand dorsum. The implications of the results are discussed. Relevance to industry Prolonged, intensive exposure to hand-transmitted vibration could result in hand-arm vibration syndrome. While the syndrome's precise mechanisms remain unclear, the characterization of the vibration transmissibility of the system in the three orthogonal dimensions performed in this study can help understand the syndrome and help develop improved frequency weightings for assessing the risk of the exposure for developing various components of the syndrome.

Prolonged, intensive exposure to vibrations from palm and orbital sanders could cause finger disorders. They are likely to be associated with the biodynamic responses of the fingers. Although the biodynamic responses of the hand-arm system have been studied by many researchers, the detailed biodynamic responses distributed in the hand substructures have not been sufficiently understood. To advance the knowledge in this aspect and to aid in the development of improved finite element models of the substructures, this study simultaneously measured the overall driving-point biodynamic response and the distribution of vibration transmissibility at the fingers and back of the hand exposed to a flat plate vibration (as an approximate simulation of the operations of the palm and orbital sanders) and examined the relationship between these two measures of biodynamic responses. Ten subjects (five males and five females) participated in the experiment. A scanning laser vibrometer was used to measure the distributed vibration. This study confirmed that the distributed hand responses generally varied with locations on each finger, vibration frequencies, and applied hand force. Two major resonances were observed in the vibration transmissibility. At the first resonance, the transmitted vibrations at different locations were more or less in phase; hence, this resonance was also observed in the driving-point biodynamic response that measures the overall biodynamic response of the system. The second resonance was observed at the fingers. Because this resonant frequency varied greatly among the fingers and the specific segments of each finger, it is difficult to identify this resonance in the driving-point biodynamic response. The implications of the findings for further model developments and applications are discussed. Relevance to industry This study enhanced the understanding of the biodynamic responses of the fingers and hand exposed to vibrations on a contact surface with a large effective radius such as that found on palm and orbital sanders. The results can also be used to develop and/or validate models of the substructures of the hand-arm system, which can be further used to help design and analyze these tools and associated anti-vibration devices. The results may also be applicable to help develop location-specific frequency weightings to assess the risks of the finger vibration exposure.

Vibration-induced biodynamic responses (BR) of the human hand–arm system measured with subjects participating in an experiment are usually arithmetically averaged and used to represent their mean response. The mean BR data reported from different studies are further arithmetically averaged to form the reference mean response for standardization and other applications. The objectives of this study are to clarify whether such a response-based averaging process could significantly misrepresent the characteristics of the original responses, and to identify an appropriate derivation method. The arithmetically averaged response was directly compared with the response derived from a property-based method proposed in this study. Two sets of reported mechanical impedance data measured at the fingers and the palms of the hands were used to derive the models required for the comparison. This study found that the response-based arithmetic averaging could generate some systematic errors. The range of the subjects’ natural frequencies in each resonance mode, the mode damping ratio, and the number of subjects participating in the experiment are among the major factors influencing the level of the errors. An effective and practical approach for reducing the potential for error is to increase the number of subjects in the BR measurement. On the other hand, the property-based derivation method can be generally used to obtain the representative response, but it is less efficient than the response-based derivation method.

The primary objectives of the current study are to enhance the understanding of the mechanisms of the anti-vibration gloves and to evaluate the methods for assessing their vibration isolation effectiveness through developing a mechanical-equivalent model of the glove-hand–arm system. The model is developed based on the measured driving-point mechanical impedances distributed at the fingers and the palm of the hand with and without a glove. Six subjects participated in the experiments with two types of anti-vibration gloves (air-bladder glove and gel-filled glove) for measuring the required impedance data. The proposed model is applied to predict the effectiveness of the glove in terms of vibration transmitted to the fingers-glove and palm-glove interfaces, the finger bones, and the wrist. The results show that the gloves could provide some attenuation of the palm-transmitted vibration at frequencies above the fundamental resonant frequency of the gloved hand–arm system, but only little reduction in the finger vibration below the dominant finger resonant frequency. The present standardized methodology based upon the transmissibility measurement at the palm alone would thus be inappropriate for characterizing the overall reduction of the vibration exposure by a glove. Moreover, the palm adapter could introduce some measurement errors because of its mass and misalignment effects and its interference with the glove-palm coupling relationship. Therefore, the standardized method may only be used for general screening tests. On the basis of the model results, several potential improvements in the current standardized methodologies for evaluations of gloves and glove material are proposed and discussed. The proposed model may also serve as a useful tool for further developments of anti-vibration gloves and other anti-vibration devices.

Vibrotactile thresholds at the fingertips are affected by a number of individual, environmental, and testing factors. In the current study, we theoretically analyzed the effects of the contact orientation of the probe on the fingertip and the static pre-indentation on the dynamic deformation of the soft tissues of the fingertip in the vibrotactile tests using a nonlinear finite element model. The fingertip considered in the 3D finite element model is the distal phalanx, the portion from the distal end to the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint articulation. The fingertip is contacted by the probe at four different contact locations, which are regulated by contact angles ( 15 ∘ , 30 ∘ , 45 ∘ , and 60 ∘ ), and three different pre-indentations (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mm). The model predictions indicated that the average spatial summation of the vibration displacement (SVD) at the fingertip depends on the static pre-indentation and the probe/indentor contact orientation; although the resonance characteristics of the fingertip are not affected by either the pre-indentation or the contact location. The location-dependence of the vibration exposure factors at the fingertip was found to increase with increasing static pre-indentation. At a static indentation of 1.5 mm, the test condition specified in the ISO-13091-1 standard, the values of the SVDs determined at different probe/fingertip contact orientations differ as much as 125%. Since the dynamic displacements of the soft tissues are believed to affect the vibrotactile threshold, the current results suggest that the contact orientation of the probe on the fingertip should be strictly defined and restricted to obtain reliable results in the vibrotactile perception threshold tests.

Reliable experimental data of the driving-point biodynamic response (DPBR) of the hand–arm system are required to develop better biodynamic models for several important applications. The objectives of this study are to enhance the understanding of mechanisms of errors induced via the dynamics of instrumented handles and to identify a relatively more reliable method for DPBR measurement. A model of the handle–hand–arm system was developed and applied to examine various measurement methods. Both analytical and finite element methods were used to perform the examinations. This study found that the handle dynamic response could cause an uneven vibration distribution on its structures, especially at high frequencies (⩾500 Hz), and hand coupling on the handle could influence the distribution characteristics. Whereas the uneven distribution itself could directly result in measurement error, the hand coupling-induced vibration changes could cause errors in tare mass cancellation. The essential reason for both types of error is that the acceleration measured at one point on the handle may not be the same as that distributed at other locations. Because the cap measurement method that separately measures the DPBRs distributed at the fingers and palm can minimize both types of error, it is the best one among the methods examined in this study. The theory developed in this study can be used to help select, develop, and improve the measurement method for a specific application.

In this study it was hypothesized that the vibration-induced injuries or disorders in a substructure of human hand–arm system are primarily associated with the vibration power absorption distributed in that substructure. As the first step to test this hypothesis, the major objective of this study is to develop a method for analyzing the vibration power flow and the distribution of vibration power absorptions in the major substructures (fingers, palm–hand–wrist, forearm and upper arm, and shoulder) of the system exposed to hand-transmitted vibration. A five-degrees-of-freedom model of the system incorporating finger- as well as palm-side driving points was applied for the analysis. The mechanical impedance data measured at the two driving points under four different hand actions involving 50 N grip-only, 15 N grip and 35 N push, 30 N grip and 45 N push, and 50 N grip and 50 N push, were used to identify the model parameters. The vibration power absorption distributed in the substructures were evaluated using vibration spectra measured on many tools. The frequency weightings of the distributed vibration power absorptions were derived and compared with the weighting defined in ISO 5349-1 (2001). This study found that vibration power absorption is primarily distributed in the arm and shoulder when operating low-frequency tools such as rammers, while a high concentration of vibration power absorption in the fingers and hand is observed when operating high-frequency tools, such as grinders. The vibration power absorption distributed in palm–wrist and arm is well correlated with the ISO-weighted acceleration, while the finger vibration power absorption is highly correlated with unweighted acceleration. The finger vibration power absorption-based frequency weighting suggested that exposure to vibration in the frequency range of 16–500 Hz could pose higher risks of developing finger disorders. The results support the use of the frequency weighting specified in the current standard for assessing risks of developing disorders in the palm–wrist–arm substructures. The standardized weighting, however, could overestimate low-frequency effects but greatly underestimate high-frequency effects on the development of finger disorders. The results are further discussed to show that the trends observed in the vibration power absorptions distributed in the substructures are consistent with some major findings of various physiological and epidemiological studies, which provides a support to the hypothesis of this study.

The objective of this study is to develop analytical models for simulating driving-point biodynamic responses distributed at the fingers and palm of the hand under vibration along the forearm direction (z(h)-axis). Two different clamp-like model structures are formulated to analyze the distributed responses at the fingers-handle and palm-handle interfaces, as opposed to the single driving point invariably considered in the reported models. The parameters of the proposed four- and five degrees-of-freedom models are identified through minimization of an rms error function of the model and measured responses under different hand actions, namely, fingers pull, push only, grip only, and combined push and grip. The results show that the responses predicted from both models agree reasonably well with the measured data in terms of distributed as well total impedance magnitude and phase. The variations in the identified model parameters under different hand actions are further discussed in view of the biological system behavior. The proposed models are considered to serve as useful tools for design and assessment of vibration isolation methods, and for developing a hand-arm simulator for vibration analysis of power tools.

The objectives of this study are to derive the frequency weighting from three vibration power absorption (VPA) methods (finger VPA, palm VPA, and total or hand VPA), and to explore whether these energy methods are better than the currently accepted acceleration method. To calculate the VPA weightings, the mechanical impedance of eight subjects exposed to a broadband random vibration spectrum in the z h -axis using 18 combinations of hand couplings and applied forces was measured. The VPA weightings were compared with the frequency weighting specified in ISO 5349-1 [2001. Mechanical Vibration—Measurement and Evaluation of Human Exposure to Hand-Transmitted Vibration—Part 1: General Requirements. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland]. This study found that the hand and palm VPA weightings are very similar to the ISO weighting but the finger VPA weighting for the combined grip and push action is much higher than the ISO weighting at frequencies higher than 25 Hz. Therefore, this study predicted that the total power absorption of the entire hand–arm system is likely to be correlated with psychophysical response or subjective sensation. However, if the ISO weighting method cannot yield good predictions of the vibration-induced disorders in the fingers and hand, the hand and palm energy methods are unlikely to yield significantly better predictions. The finger VPA is a vibration measure between unweighted and ISO weighted accelerations. The palm VPA method may have some value for studying the disorders in the wrist–arm system.

The reduction in vibrotactile sensitivity in the fingertip is assumed to be associated with the exposure of the tissues to repetitive, non-physiological strains during dynamic loading. Experimental results demonstrated that the magnitude of a vibration-induced temporary threshold shift is dependent upon the vibration frequency of both the exposure and testing stimuli. In the present study, the frequency-dependent strain imposed on cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues of the fingertip is analyzed theoretically using a finite element model. The proposed fingertip model is two-dimensional and includes major anatomical substructures: skin, subcutaneous tissue, bone, and nail. The soft tissues (skin and subcutaneous tissues) were assumed to be nonlinearly elastic and viscoelastic, while the bone and nail were considered as linearly elastic. Simulations were performed for the contact between the fingertip and a flat surface for four different pre-compressions (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mm). The frequency-dependent distributions of the dynamic strain magnitudes in the soft tissues were investigated. The model predictions indicated that the vibration exposure at a frequency range from 63 to 250 Hz will induce excessive dynamic strain in the deep zone of the finger tissues, effectively inhibiting the high-frequency mechanoreceptors; while the vibration exposure at low frequency (less than 31.5 Hz) tends to induce excessive dynamic strain in superficial layer in the tissues, inhibiting the low-frequency mechanoreceptors. These theoretical predictions are consistent with the experimental observations in literature. The proposed model can be used to predict the responses of the soft tissues in different depths to vibration exposures, providing valuable information and data that are essential for improving vibrotactile perception tests.

A comprehensive understanding of the complex biodynamic response of the human fingers–hand–arm system may help researchers determine the causation of injuries arising from hand-transmitted vibration. This study theoretically demonstrates that the mechanical impedance (MI) in a hand power grip, as a measure of the biodynamic response of the system, can be divided into finger MI and palm MI. A methodology is developed to measure them separately and to investigate their distribution characteristics. This study involves 6 adult male subjects, constant-velocity sinusoidal excitations at 10 different discrete frequencies (16, 25, 40, 63, 100, 160, 250, 400, 630, 1000 Hz), and three different hand–handle coupling conditions. Our results suggest that at low frequencies (⩽40 Hz), the palm MI is substantially higher than the finger MI; the majority of the hand MI remains distributed at the palm up to 100 Hz; and at frequencies higher than 160 Hz, the finger MI is comparable to or higher than the palm MI. Furthermore, at frequencies equal to or above 100 Hz, the finger MI is practically independent of the palm–handle coupling conditions. Knowledge of the MI distribution pattern may increase the understanding of vibration transmission to the hand and aid in the development of effective isolation devices.

Anti-vibration gloves are widely used to help minimize hand–arm vibration exposure. In this study, an alternative method is proposed to assess the vibration isolation effectiveness of these gloves using the biodynamic responses of the bare- and gloved-hand–arm system exposed to vibration. The laboratory experiments were performed with a total of five human subjects using a typical anti-vibration air bladder glove subjected to a broad-band random vibration spectrum in conjunction with a specially designed instrumented handle. The measured data were analyzed to derive the biodynamic responses of the bare as well as gloved human hand–arm system in terms of the apparent mass and the mechanical impedance. The two biodynamic responses were applied to estimate the vibration isolation effectiveness of the glove. The validity of the proposed concept was examined by comparing the estimated vibration transmissibility magnitudes of the glove with those obtained using a palm adapter method. The comparison of the results suggests that the proposed method offers a good alternative for estimating glove vibration transmissibility. The measured data and the proposed method based upon the biodynamic responses were further used to investigate the effect of the palm adapter on the vibration transmissibility of the glove. The results suggest that the presence of the palm adapter between the subject's palm and the glove may not alter the basic trends in the transmissibility response, but it would affect the transmissibility magnitudes in the middle- and high-frequency ranges. A distinct advantage of the proposed method is that it eliminates the use of an adapter in assessing the vibration isolation effectiveness of the gloves.

The frequency weighting for assessing hand-transmitted vibration exposure is critical to obtaining a true dose-response relationship. Any valid weighting must have a solid theoretical foundation. The objectives of this study are to examine the biodynamic foundation for assessing the vibration exposure and to develop a set of biodynamic methods to formulate the frequency weightings for different anatomical locations of the fingers-hand-arm system. The vibration transmissibility measured on the fingers, hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, and head was used to define the transmitted acceleration-based (TAB) frequency weighting. The apparent masses measured at the fingers and the palm of the hand were used to construct the biodynamic force-based (BFB) weightings. These weightings were compared with the ISO weighting specified in ISO 5349-1 (2001). The results of this study suggest that the frequency weightings for the vibration-induced problems at different anatomical locations of the hand-arm system can be basically divided into three groups: (a) the weighting for the fingers and hand, (b) the weighting for the wrist, elbow, and shoulder, and (c) the weighting for the head. The ISO weighting is highly correlated with the weighting for the second group but not with the first and third groups. The TAB and BFB finger weightings are quite different at frequencies lower than 100 Hz, but they show similar trends at higher frequencies. Both TAB and BFB finger weightings at frequencies higher than 20 Hz are greater than the ISO weighting.

Owing to the strong dependence of the health risks associated with vibration exposure of the human hand and arm on hand force, a laboratory study was conducted to develop a methodology for measurement of the contact force at the tool handle–hand interface, and to identify the relationship between the contact force and the hand grip and push forces. A simulated tool handle fixture was realized in the laboratory to measure the grip and push forces using compression/extension force sensors integrated within the handle and a force plate, respectively. The contact force was derived through integration of the interface pressure over the contact area. These were measured using a capacitive pressure-sensing grid. The measurements were performed with 10 male subjects and three circular cross-section handles of different sizes under different combinations of grip and push forces. The hand–handle interface pressure data were analyzed to derive the contact force, as functions of the constant magnitudes of the grip and push forces, and the handle size. The results suggest that the hand–handle contact force is strongly dependent upon not only the grip and push forces but also the handle diameter. The contact force for a given handle size can be expressed as a linear combination of grip and push forces, where the contribution of the grip force is considerably larger than that of the push force. The results further suggest that a linear relation can characterize the dependence of the contact force on the handle diameter. The validity of the proposed relationship is demonstrated by evaluating the magnitudes of errors between the estimated contact forces with the measured data for the range of handle diameters, and grip and push forces considered in the study. Relevance to industry The methodology proposed in this study can be applied to measure the effective hand–handle contact force at workplaces for assessing the health risks associated with exposure to hand-transmitted vibration exposure and hand–wrist cumulative trauma. The relationship proposed in the study could be effectively applied for estimating the hand–handle contact force from known grip and push forces that are conveniently and directly measurable in laboratory studies involving vibration analyses of the human hand, power tools and relevant vibration attenuation devices. It is expected to be most useful in field applications, where it could provide an estimate of the range of magnitudes of the hand-grip force applied to the handle of an actual tool, which is quite difficult and expensive to measure. The relationship is also expected to contribute to the on-going standardization efforts for defining a correction factor to account for the effects of hand force on the vibration transmission and hand injuries.

Several technical difficulties have been associated with the current test and evaluation methods for assessing the vibration isolation effectiveness of anti-vibration gloves. The effectiveness of the gloves for specific powered hand tools can be assessed through measurement of acceleration on the head of the third metacarpal or at the wrist. In the present study, the reliability of these on-the-hand measurement methods is evaluated through assessing the vibration transmissibility of gloves while operating chipping hammers. Two different methods, with and without the prior knowledge of tool vibration, for deriving the transmissibility of the gloves are also evaluated. The study used an air bladder glove and a gel-filled glove, two chipping hammers, and feed forces in the 50–200 N range. Six male volunteers were used as test subjects. The transmissibility of the gloves is also estimated using a total vibration transfer function method. The results suggest that the on-the-hand methods offer some unique advantages over the palm adapter method outlined in ISO-10819, but they suffer from poor repeatability when a high degree of tool vibration variability is observed, especially if the tool vibration is not measured and used for the assessment. Glove transmissibility measured at the third metacarpal is more repeatable than that derived from the measurements at the wrist. Reasonably good agreements were observed between the predicted and measured transmissibility values of the air glove. However, the measured transmissibility values for the gel-filled glove suggest that it may perform better than as predicted using the transfer function method. Relevance to industry Prolonged exposure to hand-transmitted vibration has been related to an array of health disorders of the vascular, nervous and musculoskeletal systems in the upper extremity. Anti-vibration gloves can be used to help reduce the severity of vibration exposure. The current glove assessment methods exhibit several technical difficulties and do not provide information regarding the effectiveness of the gloves when used with specific power tools. This study examines the effectiveness of on-the-hand measurement methods and the transfer function-based prediction method to determine more reliable glove assessment methods. The study also proposes a test device and method for assessing the vibration effectiveness of gloves when used with pneumatic hammers. It is anticipated that the proposed glove assessment method would be applicable to other types of hand-held power tools.

Vibrotactile perception threshold measurement has been widely used to diagnose the severity of peripheral neuropathy associated with hand-arm vibration syndrome and sensory losses in stroke and diabetic patients. The vibration perception threshold is believed to be influenced by many factors, such as contact force and vibration frequency. The present study is intended to analyze, theoretically, the time-dependent deformation profile of skin surface, strain distributions within soft tissue, and response force of a fingertip when it is stimulated by a probe vibrating with a sinusoidal movement. A two-dimensional finite element model, which incorporates the essential anatomical structures of a finger: skin, subcutaneous tissue, bone, and nail, has been proposed to analyze the effects of vibration amplitude, frequency, and preindentation on the dynamic interaction between the fingerpad and vibrating probe. The simulation results suggest that the fraction of time over which the skin separates from the probe during vibration increases with increasing vibration frequency and amplitude, and decreases with increased preindentation of the probe. The preindentation of the probe has been found to significantly reduce the trend of skin/probe decoupling. The simulation results show reasonably consistent trends with the reported experimental data. © 2003 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC2003: 8719Rr, 8719Bb, 8710+e

The vibrotactile perception threshold measurement technique is used to diagnose sensory neuropathy of the hand. The vibration perception threshold of a human finger could be most sensitive in the vicinity of one or more of its resonant frequency. The purpose of the present study is to investigate, theoretically, the effects of deformation (compression) on the free vibration behaviour of fingertips. An in-plane finite element model of the fingertip tissue has been formulated on the basis of the anatomical structure and the nonlinear elastic material properties of the soft tissue. The vibration modes of a fingertip model have been analyzed under different deformation states. Our results show that the modal vibration characteristics of the fingertip are deformation-dependent; the eigenfrequencies of the fingertip increase with the increasing preload. The present study suggests, from a theoretical point of view, that the static deformation state will influence the vibration modes and thus the perception threshold of fingertips.

A test method based upon total effective acceleration transmissibility (TEAT) is proposed to study the vibration isolation performance of anti-vibration gloves. The vibration transmission characteristics of three different gloves are investigated under predominantly axial vibration using the proposed method and the procedure outlined in ISO-10819 (Mechanical Vibration and Shock—Hand–Arm Vibration—Method for the Measurement and Evaluation of the Vibration Transmissibility of Gloves at the Palm of the Hand, International Standard Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, 1996). The measured data are systematically analyzed to illustrate the measurement and evaluation errors arising from misalignments of the response accelerometer within the palm-held adaptor, unintentional non-axial vibration caused by the vibration exciter and dynamics of the coupled hand–handle system. The degree of adaptor misalignment, estimated from the measured data, was observed to vary from 5.9° to 59.6°. Such variations could cause measurement errors in excess of 20%. The vibration transmission characteristics of selected gloves, evaluated using the proposed method, are compared with those derived from the standardized method to demonstrate the effectiveness of the TEAT approach. From the results, it is concluded that the TEAT method, based upon vector sums of both the source and response accelerations, can effectively account for the majority of the measurement errors, and yield more repeatable and reliable assessments of gloves. Relevance to industry Prolonged exposure to hand-transmitted vibration has been related to the possible occurrence of several health disorders by affecting the bones, joints, muscles and nervous system. The epidemiological studies show that millions of industrial workers are being exposed to hand vibration throughout the world. It is thus vital to develop improved methods for assessment of effectiveness of anti-vibration gloves. The proposed methodology could be applied to assess the effective vibration attenuation performance of anti-vibration gloves, and it could contribute towards developing an improved test method.

The biodynamic response characteristics of various mechanical models of the human hand and arm system, reported in the literature, are evaluated in terms of their driving-point mechanical impedance modulus and phase responses. The suitability of the reported models for applications in realizing a mechanical simulator and assessment of vibration behavior of hand-held power tools is examined using three different criteria. These include the ability of the model to characterize the driving-point mechanical impedance of the human hand–arm system within the range of idealized values presented in ISO-10068 (1998); the magnitude of model deflection under a static feed force; and the vibration properties of the human hand and arm evaluated in terms of natural frequencies and damping ratios. From the relative evaluations of 12 different models, it is concluded that a vast majority of these models cannot be applied for the development of a mechanical hand–arm simulator or the assessment of dynamic behavior of the coupled hand–tool system. The higher order models, with three and four degrees of freedom, in general, yield impedance characteristics within the range of idealized values, but exhibit excessive static deflections. Moreover, these models involve very light masses (in the 1·2–4·8 g range), and exhibit either one or two vibration modes at frequencies below 10 Hz. The majority of the lower order models yield reasonable magnitudes of static deflections but relatively poor agreement with idealized values of driving-point mechanical impedance.

The relationship between the vibration transmissibility and driving-point response functions (DPRFs) of the human body is important for understanding vibration exposures of the system and for developing valid models. This study identified their theoretical relationship and demonstrated that the sum of the DPRFs can be expressed as a linear combination of the transmissibility functions of the individual mass elements distributed throughout the system. The relationship is verified using several human vibration models. This study also clarified the requirements for reliably quantifying transmissibility values used as references for calibrating the system models. As an example application, this study used the developed theory to perform a preliminary analysis of the method for calibrating models using both vibration transmissibility and DPRFs. The results of the analysis show that the combined method can theoretically result in a unique and valid solution of the model parameters, at least for linear systems. However, the validation of the method itself does not guarantee the validation of the calibrated model, because the validation of the calibration also depends on the model structure and the reliability and appropriate representation of the reference functions. The basic theory developed in this study is also applicable to the vibration analyses of other structures.

Gloves with anti-vibration features are increasingly used to reduce impact vibrations or shocks transmitted to the hands of power tool operators. Selection and evaluation of the glove materials are important steps in the designs of such gloves. In the current study, we proposed an approach to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of the glove materials using a rat-tail impact model. As a critical part of a systematic investigation, we examined the vibration reduction characteristics of typical resilient glove materials (air bladders and viscoelastic gels) and the impact vibrations transmitted to the rat tail. A special test platform that mimics impact tool vibrations was constructed and used in the experiment. A scanning laser vibrometer was used to measure the vibration at points across the platform surface under several different test conditions. The peak acceleration was found to be greatly attenuated by the glove materials, especially by using strips from a gel-filled glove. The rat tail was found to effectively absorb the high-frequency vibration. However, the glove materials and the rat tail did not reduce the frequency-weighted acceleration. The implications of the experimental results are discussed.

The biodynamic response functions of the human whole-body system measured with subjects participating in an experiment are commonly arithmetically averaged and used to represent their mean response functions in many studies. The reported means were further averaged to form the reference means for standardization and various applications. The objectives of this study are to clarify whether this response-based averaging process could significantly misrepresent the characteristics of the original functions, and to explore appropriate methods for deriving representative functions. A set of reported mechanical-equivalent models for 12 subjects was used to derive the vertical and fore-and-aft cross-axis response functions expressed in apparent mass. The response-based average was directly compared with the response derived from a property-based derivation method. This study found that the response-based average could differ from the property-based mean response by more than 30%, especially in the fore-and-aft cross-axis response functions. This study also theoretically demonstrated that the discrepancies result from the non-linear relationship between the apparent mass and the properties of a dynamic system. Therefore, the discrepancies depend on the variability of the subjects' dynamic properties. Practically, the discrepancies in the vertical response could be reduced to an acceptable level (e.g.

Although excessive dynamic deformation of the soft tissues in the fingertip under vibration loading is thought to induce hand-arm vibration syndrome, the in vivo distributions of the dynamic stress/ strain of the tissues in the fingertip under vibration conditions have not been studied because they cannot be measured experimentally. In the present study, we analyzed the dynamic responses of a fingertip to vibrations by extending our previously proposed three-dimensional finite element (FE) model. The FE model of the fingertip contains the essential anatomical structures of a finger, such as skin layers (dermis and epidermis), subcutaneous tissue, bone, and nail. Our analysis indicated that the fingertip has a major local resonance around 100 Hz and that the vibration displacement in the soft tissues under the nail bed is less than 10% of those in the finger pad for all precompression levels and vibration range. The resonant frequency of the fingertip was found to increase from 88 Hz to 125 Hz with the static precompression increasing from 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm. These results suggest that structural and functional changes in vascular function will likely initiate from the fingerpad, the location that undergoes the greatest deformation during vibration exposure. The current predictions are qualitatively consistent with the physiological data collected from workers with vibration white finger. DOI: 10.1115/1.2947199

It is well accepted that the effects of mechanical vibration on the finger–hand–arm system are strongly frequency-dependent: low frequency vibration can transmit from hand to arm, while high frequency vibration is absorbed in the local tissue of fingers. This assertion has not been validated directly. The purpose of the present study is to analyze the frequency- and deformation-dependent dynamic strains in the soft tissues in a fingertip that is subjected to vibration normal or tangential to the contact surface. The dynamic responses of the fingertip were analyzed using a multi-layered two-dimensional finite element model. The major anatomical substructures, i.e., skin, subcutaneous tissue, bone, and nail, are included in the model. The fingertip was found to have a major resonance around 100–125 Hz and a second resonance around 250 Hz. The resonances of the fingertip are found to be independent of the direction of exposure (in normal or shear direction). The simulations further indicated that the dynamic strains induced by the vibration at low frequencies will penetrate deeper into the tissue ( > 3 mm) while that at high frequencies will be concentrated in the superficial skin layer ( 0.8 mm). The model predictions are consistent with the published experimental observations.

The hand-tool coupling force in the operation of a vibrating tool is generally composed of applied force (AF) and biodynamic force (BF). There is wide interest in quantifying the coupling force. The objectives of this study are to develop an effective method for estimating the BF and to investigate its fundamental characteristics. Using the biodynamic response of the hand-arm system, such as apparent mass or mechanical impedance, and the acceleration that can be measured on vibrating tools, this study proposed an indirect method for the BF estimation. The BFs distributed on the fingers and the palm of the hand along the forearm direction (z(h)-axis) in the operations of eighteen types of tool were estimated and used to identify the distributed BF characteristics. The results indicate that the BFs depend on both the tool vibration spectrum and the biodynamic properties of the hand-arm system. The dominant BF frequency component is usually at the same frequency as the dominant vibration frequency of each tool. The BF distributed on the palm (2-98 N) is much higher than that distributed on the fingers (1-30 N) at frequencies less than 100 Hz, but these biodynamic forces (2-22 N) are comparable at higher frequencies. The palm BF on several tools with relatively low dominant frequencies (or = 40 Hz), especially in the resonant frequency range (16-40 Hz), is comparable with the applied palm force (50-100 N). Since the resonant frequency of the palm BF is also in the range of the dominant vibration frequencies of many percussive tools, the palm BF may be related to the disorders in the wrist-arm system. The BF on the fingers is likely to be closely related to the dynamic stresses and deformations in the fingers and it may thus be used to quantify the finger vibration exposure.

The biodynamics of human hand-arm system is one of the most important foundations for the measurement, evaluation, and risk assessment of hand-transmitted vibration (HTV) exposure. This paper presents a new conceptual model relating factors influencing cause-effect relationships for HTV exposure, a new study strategy, and a comprehensive review of the recent advances in the biodynamics closely associated with HTV exposure. The review covers the following five aspects: theoretical modeling of biodynamic responses, vibration transmissibility, driving-point biodynamic responses, evaluation of anti-vibration gloves, and applied forces. This review finds that some significant advances in each of these aspects have been achieved in the recent years. Several important issues and problems in the biodynamic measurement have been identified and resolved, which has significantly helped improve the reliability and accuracy of the experimental data. The results reported in recent years suggest that, from the point of view of biodynamics, the frequency weighting specified in ISO 5349-1 (2001) overestimates the low frequency effect but underestimates the high frequency effect on the fingers and hand. The major problems, issues, and topics for further studies are also outlined in this paper. It is anticipated that the further studies of the biodynamics of the system will eventually lead to establishment of a robust vibration exposure theory. Although this review focuses on the biodynamics of the hand-arm system, the fundamental concepts and some methodologies reviewed in this paper may also be applicable for the study of whole-body vibration exposure.

Biodynamic responses of the finger-hand-arm system, such as apparent mass and mechanical impedance, characterize the relationship between the motion of the finger-hand-arm system and the dynamic force acting on the driving point, and they are useful for vibration exposure assessment. In the present study, a two-dimensional finite element (FE) model has been proposed to simulate the biodynamic responses of the fingerpad in vibration tests. The fingernail was supported by the rigid ground while the fingerpad was activated by a vibration probe. The fingertip model is composed of skin, subcutaneous tissue, bone, and nail. The soft tissues (i.e., skin and subcutaneous tissues) were assumed to be non-linearly elastic and linearly viscoelastic. The FE model was applied to predict the effects of pre-indentation of the vibration probe onto the fingerpad, the damping of the soft tissues, and probe mass on the magnitude and phase angle of the mechanical impedance and the apparent mass, as measured in the vibration tests. The model predictions showed that the probe mass has non-negligible effects on the measured biodynamic responses in the vibration tests. In order to determine "true" biodynamic responses of the finger-hand-arm system, the mass effects have to be cancelled using an appropriate approach. The present analysis provided a theoretical explanation, from a biomechanical point-of-view, for the inconsistencies in the published experimental data for the biodynamic responses of fingerpad.

A methodology for measuring the vibration energy absorbed into the fingers and the palm exposed to vibration is proposed to study the distribution of the vibration energy absorption (VEA) in the fingers-hand-arm system and to explore its potential association with vibration-induced white finger (VWF). The study involved 12 adult male subjects, constant-velocity sinusoidal excitations at 10 different discrete frequencies in the range of 16–1000 Hz, and four different hand-handle coupling conditions (finger pull-only, hand grip-only, palm push-only, and combined grip and push). The results of the study suggest that the VEA into the fingers is considerably less than that into the palm at low frequencies (� 25 Hz). They are, however, comparable under the excitations in the 250–1000 Hz frequency range. The finger VEA at high frequencies (� 100 Hz) is practically independent of the hand-handle coupling condition. The coupling conditions affect the VEA into the fingers and the palm very differently. The finger VEA results suggest that the ISO standardized frequency weighting (ISO 5349-1, 2001) may underestimate the effect of high frequency vibration on vibration-induced finger disorders. The proposed method may provide new opportunities to examine VEA and its association with VWF and other types of vibration-induced disorders in the hand-arm system. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of IPEM.

Extended exposure to mechanical vibration has been related to many vascular, sensorineural and musculoskeletal disorders of the hand–arm system, frequently termed ‘hand–arm vibration syndrome’ (HAVS). A two-dimensional, nonlinear finite element model of a fingertip is developed to study the stress and strain fields of the soft tissue under dynamic loading, that may be encountered while grasping and operating a hand-held power tool. The model incorporates the most essential anatomical elements of a fingertip, such as soft tissue, bone, and nail. The finger is assumed to be in contact with a steel plate, simulating the interaction between the fingertip and a vibrating machine tool or handle. The soft tissue is assumed to be nonlinearly visco-elastic, while the nail, bone, and steel plate are considered to be linearly elastic. In order to study the time-dependent deformation behavior of the fingertip, the numerical simulations were performed under ramp-like loading with different ramping periods and sinusoidal vibrations of the contacting plate at three different frequencies (1, 10, and 31.5 Hz). Owing to relatively large deformations of the soft tissue under specified static and dynamic loading, Lagrangian large deformation theory was applied in the present analysis. The effects of the loading rate and the frequency of the sinusoidal vibration on the time-dependent strain/stress distributions in the different depth within the soft tissue of the fingertip are investigated numerically. Our simulations suggest that the soft tissue of the fingertip experiences high local stress and strain under dynamic loading and the fingertip may separate from the vibrating contact surface due to the viscous deformation behaviour of the soft tissue. For a given deformation, the high frequency loading produces a higher stress in the tissues compared to that obtained at a low frequency loading. The present model may serve as a useful tool to study the mechanism of tissue degeneration under vibratory loading encountered during operation of hand-held power tools.

The vibration and noise generated by powered hand tools may be affected by human interaction with these tools. This effect can be taken into account by including a hand-arm system model in tool analysis and testing. The objective of this study is to propose a general methodology for developing practical models for tool analyses and test rig constructions. To demonstrate the methodology, this study applied three traditional models (2-, 3-, and 4-degree-of-freedom (DOF) models) as well as a new 4-DOF model proposed by the authors. The biodynamic responses to hand-transmitted vibration measured at the hand driving-point along the forearm direction under combined grip and push actions were used to determine the parameters of the models using a least root-mean-square error curve fitting method. This study found that the new 4-DOF model and the traditional 3-DOF and 4-DOF models accurately represented the experimental mechanical impedance (MI). The transmissibility functions predicted using these models were also consistent with their corresponding experimental data measured on the fingers and at the wrist. When judged using apparent mass (AM) instead of MI, the traditional 2-DOF model also fits the experimental data well. The parameters of the 2-DOF and new 4-DOF models are more reasonable than those of the other two models for test rig construction. This study concluded that the new 4-DOF model provides the best choice for analyzing tools and for constructing test rigs. However, if the hand-tool dynamic interactions below 100 Hz are of major concern, the 2-DOF model is simpler and less expensive for test rig construction. Whereas these two models can be directly used in some applications, the proposed methodology can be used to develop a more tool-specific model when biodynamic response data for the specific tool are available.