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PATENT
AWARDED FOR TECHNOLOGY TO TEST PROTECTIVE WEAR FOR FIREFIGHTERS
A new device capable of measuring the insulation characteristics
of protective clothing used by firefighters, soldiers, industrial
workers and athletes was awarded a U.S. patent on June 24, 2003.
Co-inventor, Dr. Uwe Reischl, said the new system, based on an
inflatable thermal mannequin design, could help firefighters in
places such as the Salmon-Challis National Forest fire in Idaho
optimize protective wear to reduce heat stress and improve safety.
Dr. Reischl, director of the Center for Health Policy at Boise
State University, said the new testing technology would cost only
a small fraction of the $1 million cost for thermal mannequins
currently used to evaluate the thermal characteristics of
protective garments. The new system would also eliminate the need
for tests involving human subjects performing movements inside
climate-controlled chambers.
“The inflatable thermal mannequin design represents a quantum leap
downward in cost,” said Dr. Reischl. “Also, the new technology
would be easy to use. The testing procedures are simple and the
data readout can be interpreted by non-technical people.
“Because of its low cost and simplicity, the new technology could
enable individual fire departments to test their own garments to
see which configurations would work best for the climatic and
environmental conditions prevailing in a particular situation.”
Dr. Reischl, who joined the faculty at Boise State a year ago,
developed the system in cooperation with Francis N. Dukes-Dobos
when both were professors at the University of South Florida (USF)
in Tampa. USF applied for the patent on Aug. 15, 2001. A medical
doctor with Ph.D.s in occupational medicine and environmental
health sciences and a former science adviser to the World Health
Organization, Reischl has been involved with the assessment of
environmental health conditions and health care delivery systems
worldwide. Dr. Dukes-Dobos, formerly chief of the Environmental
Physiology Division at the National Institute of Occupational
Safety and Health, was responsible for the development of the U.S.
standards for occupational exposure to heat stress.
Dr. Reischl and Dr. Dukes-Dobos built and tested a
proof-of-concept thermal mannequin system at USF. Their
measurements of thermal insulation values of various protective
garment ensembles were consistent with insulation values for
similar garments measured by much more expensive systems.
One of the key issues in clothing design is the tradeoff between
protecting the wearer from environmental hazards and providing
adequate ventilation to avoid excessive heat stress. By fitting
the inflatable thermal mannequin with a tricot covering saturated
with water, the device can also be used to measure the vapor
permeability characteristics of protective apparel.
“Not only the fire departments and the military would benefit from
this new technology, but also the private sector,” said Dr.
Reischl. “If this new technology were used by companies that
design, manufacture and sell protective industrial garments, and
even sportswear, designers could optimize their products to reduce
heat stress and improve comfort and performance by utilizing
quantitative and objective measurements of heat transfer,” he
said. For example, the system could help garment manufacturers
explain how their design and use of materials affect the comfort
and safety of their clothing systems.
The University of South Florida is currently seeking industry
participation in licensing this new technology internationally.
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Contact
Uwe Reischl
Boise State Center for Health Policy
208 426-2445
ureischl@boisestate.edu
Mark Laurenzo
USF Division of Patents and Licensing
813 974-5560
mlaurenzo@research.usf.edu
Media contact
Pat Pyke
Boise State communications and marketing
208 426-1987
ppyke@boisestate.edu
