Environmental heat stress monitor

• US 20020009119A1
• Filed: 02/12/2001
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United States Army (U.S. Department Of Defense)
• Original Assignee: United States Army (U.S. Department Of Defense)
• Inventors: McGrath, Joseph M., Matthew, William T., Stroschein, Leander A.
• Application Number:
  US09/780,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20020009119A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0009 General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment G01N1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/17 Catathermometers for measuring "cooling value" related either to weather conditions or to comfort of other human environment

Abstract

A portable stress monitor is provided for monitoring conditions under which physiological activity is occurring. The conditions monitored may be environmental, such as ambient temperature and humidity, or physiological, such as heart rate or body temperature. The monitor includes a main body portion and a hinged cover. The hinged cover includes a removable sensor module. One or more sensors are attached to the sensor module, each sensor may be pivotally mounted on a mast, such that the sensors extend outwardly from the hinged cover when the sensor module is in the deployed position and may be pivoted to sit substantially flush with the hinged cover when the sensor module is in the storage position. A central processing unit is contained within the main body, and is operable to process data acquired by the sensors according to a heat strain algorithm. A display is attached to the outer surface of the main body for providing read out information, and an input device is provided for user input.

Claims

1. A portable environmental heat stress monitor, comprising:

a main housing having a front piece and a rear cover;

a sensor module operable to move from a sensor deployed position to a sensor storage position;

a plurality of sensors attached to the sensor module, each sensor mounted on a mast, such that the sensors extend outwardly from the main housing when the sensor module is in the deployed position and rest in the main housing when the sensor module is in the storage position, the sensors including at least a humidity sensor and a wind speed sensor;

a main electronics circuit contained within the main housing, operable to process data acquired by the sensors and to provide heat stress data output that incorporates wind speed as a parameter;

a sensor electronics circuit contained within the sensor module;

a display viewable at the outer surface of the main housing for providing read out information; and

a keypad for receiving input from a user.

2. A portable environmental heat stress monitor comprising:

a main housing;

a cover hingedly connected to said main housing;

a sensor module disposed in said cover, said sensor module including a planar base;

a plurality of sensors, each sensor mounted on a mast, the mast being pivotally attached to the planar base such that each sensor extends substantially orthogonally from the planar base in deployed position and such that each sensor is disposed substantially parallel to the planar base in a storage position, the sensors including at least a humidity sensor and a wind speed sensor;

a central processing unit in communication with said plurality of sensors to receive input signals from at least one of said plurality of sensors; and

an input device that transmits environmental stress parameter inputs to said central processing unit whereby said central processing unit computes work/rest cycles responsive to the sensor input signals and the environmental stress parameters.

3. The monitor of claim 2, wherein the sensors include an ambient temperature sensor and a humidity sensor.

4. The monitor of claim 2, wherein the sensors include a black globe sensor.

5. The monitor of claim 2, wherein the sensors include a wind speed sensor.

6. The monitor of claim 2, further comprising an atmospheric pressure sensor within the sensor module.