Mechanical characterization data of polyacrylamide hydrogel formulations and 3D printed PLA for application in human head phantoms

To study human traumatic brain injury (TBI) mechanics, a realistic surrogate must be developed for testing in impact experiments. In this data brief, materials used to simulate brain tissue and skull are characterized for application in a full-scale human head phantom. Polyacrylamide hydrogels are implemented as tissue scaffolds and tissue mimics because they are bioinert and tunable. These properties make them ideal for use as brain tissue in studies that simulate head impacts. The objective is to modify hydrogel formulations to have minimal swelling and optical clarity while maintaining properties that mimic brain tissue, such as density, viscoelastic properties, and rheological properties. Secondly, polylactic acid (PLA) polymers are 3D printed to create biomimetic skulls to enclose the hydrogel brain tissue mimic or brain phantom. PLA samples are printed and tested to determine their mechanical strength with the intention of roughly matching human skull properties. Hydrogel data was obtained with an oscillatory rheometer, while PLA samples were tested using a mechanical tester with a 3-point bend setup. The present data brief highlights several hydrogel formulations and compares them to identify the benefits of each formula and reports mechanical values of 3D printed PLA samples with 100% grid infill patterns applied in a skull model.