Protective suits are essential kit for some workers like firefighters and healthcare workers, but staying cool enough to work for long periods is a challenge.
A team at California’s Stanford University working on the regulation of body temperature have created a cooling system that could double the amount of time workers can spend wearing protective suits.
The research was prompted by healthcare workers from Sierra Leone who experienced debilitating heat when wearing suits that protected them from the highly infectious Ebola virus.
Craig Heller, professor of biology in the School of Humanities and Sciences, said that they reported being able to work for just 20-30 minutes before overheating.
Overheating puts them at risk of illnesses like heat stroke and limits their mental and physical capabilities. This is a concern for workers who could be exposed to a deadly virus – especially with new outbreaks of the Ebola virus in Democratic Republic of Congo this year. Since the latest outbreak was declared on August 1, at least 90 people have died from the virus.
The cooling system developed by the Stanford researchers looks like a hydration pack used in sports like running or cycling. One “bladder” contains frozen water and lies next to another holding circulating fluid. Tubes from the backpack deliver cooling fluid through pads in the underside of fingerless gloves. A valve in the tubing of the system mixes warm fluid returning from the gloves with the colder fluid from the boot.
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