FIG. 1.

Blast injury dosimeter (BID) concept and function. (A) BID arrays may be affixed to warfighter uniforms in multiple locations. These arrays consist of multiple engineered photonic crystalline microstructures, the colorimetric properties of which are a result of the nano-scale structure, creating so-called “structural color.” (B) We have previously demonstrated that blast exposure precisely disrupts the structure at the nano- and micro-scales, creating color change and loss, respectively (color change/loss scale bar=1 mm; SEM scale bar=500 nm). These properties make our photonic crystalline arrays ideal to serve as a colorimetric blast injury dosimeter. Schematic adapted from Cullen and associates (2011; SEM, scanning electron microscope).