Physiological Wear Test

Full ensemble wear testing is the ultimate assessment for indicating user opinion and acceptance of a garment ensemble. A specific and limited human subject pool, following a protocol based on ASTM F 2668 Standard Practice for Determining the Physiological Responses of the Wearer to Protective Clothing Ensembles, is used to evaluate protective garments where heat stress might impact wearer performance of job tasks.

Participants are instrumented to collect physiological data on heart rate, skin temperature, and core temperature while following a prescribed protocol. T-PACC now employs wireless sensor technologies for data transmission and collection of readings on bodily stress indicators.

The wireless capsule technology is easier to use, less distracting for the test subject, reduces incidents for re-testing due to instrument failure related to slippage, and does not compromise the test ensemble allowing it to be worn naturally.

This advanced physiological monitoring platform is cutting edge technology that combines human physiology measurements with human movement. Wearer vital signs are transmitted noise-free via a Bluetooth interface. Data can be transmitted continuously or in intervals and can be viewed in real time and retrospectively.

This type of heat stress assessment also gathers data on garment weight, subjective response ratings of key comfort descriptors, and surveys regarding clothing ensemble acceptance by the test subjects.